• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, July 27, 2005

Business News Readers No Longer "Just Old Men"

According to the recent Media Audit report, the business news sections of daily newspapers continue to consistently deliver an educated audience with economic clout. Collectively, in the 87 metro markets surveyed by The Media Audit, 26.2 percent or 36 million adults regularly read a daily newspaper business news section. The 87 markets have a population of more than 137 million.

 Bob  Jordan, president of International Demographics, said "Most of these metro markets are served by just one daily newspaper and that means advertisers can reach the business news section readers with just one media buy."

Market share numbers for most newspaper business news sections are still very attractive. As an example, in San Diego 23.7 percent of survey respondents report "regularly reading a newspaper business news section." That 23.7 percent is 518,000 adults.

 If newspaper business news section readers were once all "old men," they no longer are. Collectively in the 87 markets:

• 57.7 percent are male
• 42.3 are female.
• More than 54 percent have annual household incomes of $50,000 or more
• 35.1 percent have annual incomes of $75,000 or more
• 22.4 percent have $100,000 or more
• 9.7 percent earned $150,000 or more
• 48 percent of business news section readers have one or more degrees compared to 35.2 percent of all adults
• 58 percent of regular business news section readers are between 18 and 54
• 72 percent of all adults in the markets surveyed are between age 18 and 54

All percentages are significantly higher than those found in the general adult population of the markets surveyed.

 Areas in which business news section readers index well over 100 (the average for all adults in the survey) include:

• affluent empty nesters/age 45+, index 167
• opinion leader, index 173;
• now own Jaguar, index 160
• market value of home, $500,000 or more, index 156
• past 2-weeks drank wine on 3 or more days, index 160
• traded stocks/bond during past year, index 177
• liquid assets of $250,000+, index 197

 

You can find out more here.