At a time when many assume that younger, tech-savvy people are turning their backs on print media, a highly regarded researcher has come up with evidence that young adults actually read more consumer
magazines than older folks.
The discovery is the result of new methodological research developed by McPheters & Co. to identify better ways of collecting information on the household
incomes of magazine readers. "While analyzing data from the new test, it became apparent that younger readers reported reading more magazines than older readers," the company said.
Thinking the results might have been due to the vagaries of a low sample size, McPheters then compared them to the results of a similar, but bigger study conducted last summer to develop its
readership.com service. Readership.com has since been suspended, but the data from 8,400 respondents participating in the beta project confirmed the higher reading trends among young adults.
It "showed that adults in the 19-24 and 25-34 age groups reported that they read a larger number of both different magazine titles and specific magazine issues than their older
counterparts," said John McPheters, a partner in the company, adding, "This evidence speaks directly to the growing concern that younger audiences are abandoning the hard-copy magazines for
the internet and other forms of media. It simply has not happened."
advertisement advertisement Readership of Consumer Magazines |
Total Adults | Total |
19-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65 or over |
# Titles Read in Last 6 Months | 17.0
| 18.3 | 18.9 |
17.2 | 16.7 | 17.0 | 14.0 |
Index | 100 | 108 | 112 | 101 | 98 | 100 | 82 |
# of Specific Issues Read | 29.3
| 30.9 | 33.3 |
29.2 | 28.3 | 29.7 | 25.0 |
Index | 100 | 105 | 113 | 99 | 96 | 101 | 85 |
Issues/Title | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
Index | 100 | 98 | 102 | 98 | 98 | 101 | 104 |
| | | | |
| | |
Total Men
| | | | |
| | |
# Titles
Read in Last 6 Months | 15.5 | 16.5 | 17.2 | 15.8 | 14.8 | 15.7 | 13.0 |
Index | 100 | 106 | 111 | 102 | 95 | 102 | 84 |
# of Specific Issues
Read | 26.7 | 29.3 | 30.5 | 26.6 | 24.5 | 27.2 | 22.7 |
Index | 100 | 110 | 114 | 99 | 92 | 102 | 85 |
Issues/Title
| 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 |
Index | 100 | 103 | 103 | 97 | 96 | 100 | 101 |
| | | |
| | | |
Total Women | | | |
| | | |
# Titles Read in Last 6 Months | 18.3 |
20.2 | 20.6 | 18.4 | 18.4 | 18.2 | 14.8 |
Index | 100 | 110 | 113 | 100 | 101 | 99 | 81 |
# of Specific Issues Read | 31.8 | 32.6 | 35.9 | 31.5 | 31.8 | 32.2 | 27.0 |
Index | 100 | 103 | 113 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 85 |
Issues/Title | 1.7 | 1.6 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 |
Index | 100 | 93 | 100 | 99 | 99 | 102 | 105 |
Source: McPheters & Co. from readership.com summer 2006 beta study.