• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, May 14, 2002

Whatever the motivation, in 2001 the country's daily newspapers finally embraced the Internet, says a new survey released by The Media Audit. In the 85 metro markets surveyed in 2001, 28 daily newspaper web sites attracted more than 20 percent of the adults in their immediate market "during the past month". Only seven newspaper web sites attracted 20 percent or more the previous year.

"Attracting 20 percent of a market doesn't sound like a significant achievement until you compare those numbers to the daily newspaper print product readership numbers," says Bob Jordan, co-chairman of International Demographics, that produces The Media Audit. "In more than a few major markets the local daily newspaper is struggling to keep 45 to 50 percent of the adults as readers. And they've had the print product on the streets for generations."

In 2001, 45.3 percent of the respondents surveyed in all 85 markets said they were not exposed to a daily newspaper on an average weekday. That's up from 40.1 percent in l998. The newspaper industry has experienced a steady decline in readership for 30 years. "The Internet," says Jordan, "may turn out to be the lifeline the newspaper industry has been seeking."

The Washington Post, based on The Media Audit data, operates the most successful newspaper web site in the 85 metro markets surveyed. Jordan points out that the remarkable achievement of The Post is that it is attracting 40 percent of the adults to its web site in a market where only 66 percent of the adults regularly read a daily newspaper in print. Convergence or partnering and strong promotions seem to be at the heart of the success that some newspapers are enjoying on the web.

28 newspapers that attracted more than 20 percent of the adults in their immediate market to their web site:

• Washington Post 40.2 %
• Omaha World-Herald 27.4
• San Antonio Express-News 27
• Charlotte Observer 26.6
• Hartford Courant 26.1
• Minneapolis Star-Tribune 25.5
• Orlando Sentinel 25.2
• Sacramento Bee 24.8
• Daily Oklahoman 24
• Kansas City Star 23.5
• New Orleans Times Picayune 23.4
• Raleigh News & Observer 23
• Ann Arbor News 23.4
• Lexington Herald Leader 23
• Atlanta Journal-Constitution 22.4
• Virginian Pilot (Norfolk) 22.3
• Houston Chronicle 21.9
• Seattle Times 21.8
• San Diego Union-Tribune 21.4
• St. Louis Post-Dispatch 20.8
• Jackson Clarion Ledger 20.8
• Charlotte Observer 20.7
• Des Moines Register 20.7
• Arizona (Phoenix) Republic 20.6
• Buffalo News 20.4
• Albany Times-Union 20.1
• Florida Times-Union 20
• Wisconsin State Journal 20

You can find out more at The Media Audit.