• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, June 18, 2007

A Scarborough Research study commissioned by the Newspaper National Network has found a high degree of overlap in the use of online and print versions of newspapers, with 81% of respondents saying they regularly consume both kinds of media. It also contained some findings which suggest that newspapers are well-positioned to expand their online footprint.

The "Integrated Newspaper Footprint Study," a telephone re-contact survey of individuals in Scarborough's syndicated research database, sought respondents who had previously indicated that they had visited a newspaper Web site in the "last seven days"--and focused on the 81% of them who said they also read the newspapers in their print versions.

Within this group, 63% read printed newspapers in the morning (before 10 a.m.), versus just 34% who visit newspapers' Web sites in the same time period. Conversely, 46% of these "crossover" users visit the Web sites in the afternoon or evening, versus a relatively lower 41% who read printed newspapers in those time periods.

Jason Klein, president and chief executive officer of NNN, speculated that this was due to the easy morning availability of newspapers that are either delivered to homes or sold (or given away free) at commuter hubs. It may also reflect a usage pattern in which the print newspaper anchors stories in readers' minds, which they then follow up on the Web.

At the same time, 96% of crossover users said they use newspaper Web sites for breaking news, and 85% to find articles seen previously. Other popular uses were for weather updates (75%), finding things to do (72%) and community events (70%).

The high degree of engagement with newspaper Web sites reflects a general Web-savvy among crossover users that seems to hold promise for newspapers to expand their online footprint. In addition to being more prone to click on links for additional information (93%), and to view or listen to online video and audio (61%), 52% of crossover users also read or write blogs. This finding suggests that newspaper Web sites have a large cohort of online ambassadors who will cite their articles--and thus increase their reach--in online discussions and debates.

The implications for advertisers are clear, according to Klein. "I think it's important for advertisers to utilize both print and online," he said, as the two delivery systems "serve different and complementary roles in the purchase cycle." For example, "a print newspaper can be used to drive someone to a company's site, to get more information about a product. And if you're looking at any kind of a geo-targeted ad campaign, there's great value in having a print version and an online version, and having them integrate."