Survey shows strong readership for newspapers

The truth is, almost everybody reads a newspaper. That’s according to the most recent independent survey conducted by Pulse Research.

More than 2,000 people responded to Pulse’s just-released, fourth-quarter 2010 survey, which was aimed at understanding consumer buying habits. It also looked at how people feel about the economy and the stability of their employment and home values.

About half of the respondents said they felt secure or somewhat secure in their jobs, but they were less confident about the stability of home values and the economy. Only 4.6 percent said they were very confident about the stability of the economy over the next six months and only 3.2 percent said they were very confident in the stock market.

Most, 52 percent, said they plan to spend about the same amount this year as they spent last year, but many of them (23.8 percent) said they plan to shop more locally this year.

Almost everyone (95.6 percent) responded that they had recently read a print publication. Nearly 90 percent  (89.1 percent) said that publication was a local, daily newspaper.  Another 70 percent reported recently reading a local paid or free newspaper or shopper. Eighty-four percent of the respondents said they had read a newspaper within the last day.

“This is good news for newspapers,” said Dennis DeRossett, executive director of the Illinois Press Association. “There have been a lot of reports about the way the economy has impacted newspapers. This shows that many of those reports are exaggerated or lack context. The truth is, local newspapers are as relevant today as they ever were. And when people feel the economic pinch in their homes, they turn to their local newspapers to help make buying decisions.”

The Illinois Press Association, located in Springfield, represents more than 400 daily and weekly newspaper members.