• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer, May 2, 2007

Record Number of Visitors to Newspaper Web Sites in First Quarter

According to custom analysis by Nielsen//NetRatings for the Newspaper Association of America, more than 59 million people (37.6 percent of all active Internet users) visited newspaper Web sites during the first quarter of 2007, a record number that represents a 5.3 percent increase over the same period a year ago.

These Web site visitors generated nearly three billion page views per month throughout the quarter, compared to just under 2.7 billion during the same period last year. According to data from Scarborough Research, says the report, Newspaper Web sites have helped drive a 13.7 percent increase in total newspaper audience for 25- to 34-year-olds and a 9.2 percent increase for 18- to 24-year-olds. 

 NAA President and CEO, John F. Sturm, said "These record-setting numbers underscore... the importance of newspaper Web sites to the growing newspaper footprint... In addition, the sites attract a younger, more affluent audience coveted by advertisers while providing a valuable service to readers seeking immediate information from a trusted local source."

Users continue to increase the amount of time they spend on newspaper Web sites with the average visitor spending more than 45 minutes per month during the quarter, an 11.5 percent increase over this time last year.

In addition to quarterly averages that surpassed previous highs, two monthly figures broke new ground of their own.  In January, visitors generated an astounding 3.1 billion page views, rising above the previous record high in that category.  In March, more than 59.5 million people (or more than one in three active Internet users) visited newspaper Web sites, the largest unique audience for any month since the association began tracking these numbers in 2004.

First Quarter Online Newspaper Audience
Month	Audience (mil)	% Reach	Page Views (bil)	Visits/Person
2007
January	58.9	37.6	3.2	8.7
February	58.8	37.5	2.8	7.9
March	59.6	37.7	3.0	8.6
Avg Q1	59.1	37.6	3.0	8.4
2006
January	56.5	36.6	2.7	8.2
February	53.9	35.7	2.6	8.0
March	57.9	37.6	2.7	8.1
Avg Q1	56.1	36.6	2.7	8.1
Source: Nielsen//NetRatings Custom Analysis, April 2007

More details about this report may be found here.

Data for previous years on newspaper Web site audience may be accessed here.