A new study from the Newspaper Association of America, which is in the midst of trying to rebrand the entire faltering industry, shows that online audiences are growing rapidly at newspaper sites. One
in three Internet users, or 55 million, visit a newspaper Web site each month, according to the new study, released today at the trade group's three-day annual convention in Chicago. From January to
December 2005, unique visitors to newspaper sites grew 21 percent, while the number of page views jumped considerably by 43 percent. The industry's struggle with the transition online has been one of
the top discussion points at the conference, according to the Associated Press. During a panel discussion, Starcom EVP Andrew Swinand pointed out that newspapers could do more to get audiences to
participate in generated content and interacting with newspaper Web sites. He added that publishers should consider joining a network so media agencies could make buys across several sites. Swinand
said he remains "bullish" about the online advertising prospects of the newspaper industry, but the industry must do a better job of making the process more automated and less cumbersome.
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