• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, 6 hours ago

News media passed a watershed moment in 2025:  print + digital readers surpassed print-only readers for the first time, according to the 2025 Market Report on News and Magazine Media from the News/Media Alliance. 

This shows readers want access to both platforms. And it comes when there is more good news for the professionals who labor in this field.  

For one thing,  news media now reach 118 million people, 44% of all U.S. adults, every week. 

Those readers have a median household income that is $8,000 higher than the average.  

The younger cohort is even more affluent, with a median household income nearly $18,000 above average. 

Nearly 9 in 10 news media readers are registered to vote.

Meanwhile, on the glossier side of publishing, 223 million people, roughly 86% of U.S. adults, have read a magazine in the last six months. And the average issue reaches seven people. 

Regular magazine readers are more likely to be “super influencers,” people who influence  purchases, in areas like cooking, beauty, home remodeling, clothes, and retail shopping, and are particularly trusted. 

In addition, almost 8 out of 10 readers who see an ad in their magazine take an action as a result. 

Indeed, 63% of consumers say ads in magazine fit well with the content, more so than television or digital adds. Moreover, readers find magazine more engaging and relevant than ads in other channels media.

The takeaway? 

“The data in this report shows that in a world where users are increasingly fed unverified and unreliable information, our members offer a valuable alternative—trusted, credible, and quality content —with audiences growing more than ever,” says Danielle Coffey, President and CEO of the News/Media Alliance, in a statement. “News and magazine media provide readers with both information and entertainment they won’t get anywhere else, and they offer advertisers a brand-safe environment to reach these engaged audiences.”