North Central Newspaper Readers Read More Sports In a comprehensive MediaMark Research study, completed in 2003, the section readership report is designed to address a range of
strategic marketing questions that are often asked about targeting daily newspaper readers. Responses were collected to address issues such as the most-read section of the newspaper, the best place to
target readers by occupation, male and female readership differences, married and singles reading Food section, likely readers for each section, and more.
Highlights:
- General News
is the most widely read section among adult daily newspaper readers at 70%.
- After General News, men read the Sports section most (58%), while women (45%) read the Food/Cooking section most.
- Daily newspaper readers 35-44 are almost twice as likely as those 18-24 to read the Business/Finance section. (39% vs. 20%)
- Daily newspaper readers with Master's degrees are more likely
to read the Movie Listings and Reviews section than those with high school diplomas (39% vs. 28%)
- After General News, the Business/Finance section (51%) is read most by daily newspaper readers
with household incomes $75,000+. Likewise, the Editorial section is read most by daily readers with household incomes of $30,000 or less (38%).
- After General News, Classifieds and Sports are
the most widely read sections among daily newspaper readers in technical/clerical/sales occupations (40%).
- Employed daily newspaper readers are more likely to read the Classified section than
unemployed readers (39% vs. 30%).
- Daily newspaper readers who are married are more likely than those who are single to read the Editorial section (47% vs. 26%).
- Daily newspaper readers
in the north central census region are more likely to read the Sports section than readers in other census regions.
Information in these tables provides a dimension of newspaper readership -
exposure opportunities - that is critically important to advertisers. This data can show newspaper advertisers where their messages will have the highest likelihood of being read and acted upon by
their target audience.
Sections Read/Gender
| Adults %
| Men % | Women % |
| Business/Finance | 40
| 47 | 32 |
| Classified | 36 | 36 | 35 |
| Comics | 34 | 35 | 33 |
| Editorial
Page | 42 | 40 | 44 |
| Fashion | 17 | 8 | 27 |
| Food/Cooking | 31 | 18 | 45 |
| General News | 70 | 68 | 72 |
| Home/Furnishings/Gardening | 26 | 17 | 35 |
| Movie Listings and Reviews | 31 | 26 | 35 |
| Science & Technology | 22 | 26 | 18
|
| Sports | 43 | 58 | 27 |
| Travel | 25 | 23 | 26 |
| TV/Radio Listings | 31 | 29
| 32 |
| Average Wkday Audience (000) | 99,850 | 50,873 | 48,977 |
Source: Mediamark Research Inc., Spring 2003
Sections Read/Age
| 18-24 | 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65+ |
| (%) | (%) | (%) | (%) | (%) | (%) |
| Business/Finance | 20 | 31 | 39 | 45 | 48 | 43 |
| Classified | 43 | 42 | 43 | 36 | 36 | 21 |
| Comics | 31 | 28 | 29 | 35 | 38 | 41 |
| Editorial Page | 17 | 25 | 34 | 44 | 55 | 61 |
| Fashion | 14 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 21 | 21 |
| Food/Cooking | 16 | 22 | 28 | 35 | 36 | 39 |
| General News | 56 | 59 | 69 | 72 | 79 | 76 |
| Home/Furnishings/Garden | 10 | 17 | 25 | 30 | 32 | 29 |
| Movie Listings and Review | 31 | 31 | 34 | 34 | 30 | 25 |
| Science & Technology | 15 | 18
| 21 | 28 | 28 | 19 |
| Sports | 40
| 38 | 43 | 45 | 45 | 44 |
| Travel
| 15 | 20 | 23 | 29 | 29 | 26 |
| TV/Radio Listings | 20 | 18 | 23 | 30 | 35 | 47 |
| Average WkDy Aud (000) | 8,829 | 13,875 | 20,722 | 20,405 | 14,482 | 21,537 |
Source: Mediamark Research Inc., Spring
2003
Section Readership by Household Income Daily Newspaper Adults
| HHI | HHI | HHI | HHI | HHI |
| $75K+ | $50K+ | $40K+ | $30K+ | <=$30K |
| (%)
| (%) | (%) | (%) | (%) |
| Business/Finance | 51 | 47 | 46 | 44 | 24 |
| Classified | 31 | 35 | 35 | 35 | 37 |
| Comics | 32 | 34 | 34 | 34 | 35 |
| Editorial Page | 43 | 43 | 43
| 43 | 38 |
| Fashion | 19 | 18 | 18
| 17 | 16 |
| Food/Cooking | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 30 |
| General News | 74 | 73 | 73 | 72 | 64 |
| Home/Furnishings/Gardening | 30 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 19 |
| Movie Listings and Reviews | 36 | 34 | 34 | 33 | 23 |
| Science & Technology
| 29 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 13 |
| Sports
| 48 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 35 |
| Travel
| 33 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 14 |
| TV/Radio Listings | 28 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 33 |
| Average WkDy Aud (000) | 35,366 | 56,966 | 66,454 | 77,001 | 22,849 |
Source: Mediamark Research Inc., Spring 2003
Section Readership by Race Daily Newspaper Adults
| White | Black | Hispanic* |
| (%) | (%) | (%) |
| Business/Finance | 42 | 23 | 30 |
| Classified | 35 | 39 | 32 |
| Comics | 36 | 25 | 25 |
| Editorial Page | 46 | 26 | 27
|
| Fashion | 17 | 18 | 14 |
| Food/Cooking | 32 | 23 | 21 |
| General News | 73 | 52 | 54 |
| Home/Furnishings/Gardening | 26 | 16 | 17 |
| Movie Listings and Reviews | 31 | 26 | 27 |
| Science & Technology | 23 | 12 | 20 |
| Sports | 45 | 34 | 39 |
| Travel | 26 | 15 | 19 |
| TV/Radio
Listings | 33 | 22 | 24 |
| Average Weekday Audience (000) | 42,069 | 5,037 | 6,820 |
*Defined as Hispanic origin or descent
Source: Mediamark Research Inc.,
Spring 2003