Websites deliver additional readership for newspaper brands, but print newspapers are still number one for total readers

‘Masthead readership’ defines a newspaper title’s net readership by combining readership of the newspaper’s printed version and online – eg. Herald Sun and www.heraldsun.com.au.

Witha masthead readership of nearly 2.7 million, the Herald Sun brand has 258,000 more readers than number two ranked Sydney Morning Herald (with a masthead readership of nearly 2.4 million), just ahead of Sydney’s Daily Telegraph (with a masthead readership greater than 2.3m).


Net Readership by Masthead – National, Sydney metro & Melbourne metro newspapers.


Source: Roy Morgan Single Source July 2010 - June 2011 (n = 51,951). 'Masthead readership’ is the net readership of newspaper hard copy and website. Note: Readership for daily titles is based on Mon-Sun issues (except AFR and The Australian, which are based on Mon-Sat).


Brisbane’s Courier Mail ranks fourth with a masthead readership of over 1.84m, placing the Brisbane title just ahead of Melbourne’s The Age with its masthead readership of nearly 1.78m.


Net Readership by Masthead – Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth & Hobart metro newspapers


Source: Roy Morgan Single Source July 2010 - June 2011 (n = 51,951). 'Masthead readership’ is the net readership of newspaper hard copy and website. Note: Readership for West Australian newspaper is Mon-Sat only; newspaper readership for all other daily titles (which excludes Perth Sunday Times) is based on Mon-Sun.


71% of The Australian’s masthead readership read this newspaper’s printed version.The Australian’s website, theaustralian.com.au, has a readership of 619,000 readers, which is more than 4.6 times the readership of national rival, the Australian Financial Review’s website, afr.com.


National Newspapers: Australian Financial Review, The Australian


Source: Roy Morgan Single Source July 2010 - June 2011 (n = 51,951). 'Masthead readership’ is the net readership of newspaper hard copy and website. Note: Newspaper readership is based on Mon-Sat issues.


The Australian Financial Review’s masthead readership appears to owe more to its printed version of the newspaper than its website.82% of the Australian Financial Review’s masthead readership read the printed version of this newspaper, but only 30,000 readers (or 5% of its total masthead readership) read both the printed version and the website.Perhaps there is a connection between the existence of a paywall on afr.com, and that this newspaper brand has the lowest duplication of readers between its printed version and website.

Readership data for the Sydney newspaper brands shows that 87% of the Daily Telegraph’s masthead readership is reading the printed version of the newspaper, compared to 71% for Sydney Morning Herald.Conversely, 21% of the Daily Telegraph’s masthead readership read its website, thetelegraph.com.au; this differs greatly to the Sydney Morning Herald, for which 47% of its masthead readership is reading this title’s website, smh.com.au.


Sydney’s Metro Daily Newspapers: Daily Telegraph, Sydney Morning Herald


Source: Roy Morgan Single Source July 2010 – June 2011 (n = 51,951). 'Masthead readership’ is the net readership of newspaper hard copy and website. Note: Newspaper readership based on Mon-Sun issues, NSW/ACT only; website readership is based on national readership of the site.


Whilst the Daily Telegraph has a larger readership for its printed version than does the Sydney Morning Herald, it is the Sydney Morning Herald’s website, smh.com.au, which boasts more than twice the readership of the Daily Telegraph’s website.The strength of smh.com.au’s readership actually gives Sydney Morning Herald a larger net masthead readership than Daily Telegraph.

In fact, with a readership of 1,115,000, smh.com.au has the highest readership of all the Australian metro daily newspaper websites.

Melbourne’s Herald Sun has both a larger masthead and newspaper (printed version) readership than Victorian rival, The Age, but The Age’s website, theage.com.au, actually has a higher readership than that of the Herald Sun.With a readership of 882,000, The Age’s website has 131,000 more readers (or +17%) than heraldsun.com.au. 84% of the Herald Sun’s masthead readership reads the printed version of this newspaper, compared to 69% for The Age.


Melbourne’s Metro Daily Newspapers: Herald Sun, The Age


Source: Roy Morgan Single Source July 2010 – June 2011 (n = 51,951). 'Masthead readership’ is the net readership of newspaper hard copy and website. Note: Newspaper readership based on Mon-Sun issues, Victoria only; website readership is based on national readership of the site.


The data also reveals that Fairfax’s Sydney Morning Herald and The Age have the highest levels of duplication between the newspaper’s printed version and website: 18% of masthead readership of each the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age read both the printed version and the website.


Perth’s Metro Newspapers: West Australian, Sunday Times


Source: Roy Morgan Single Source July 2010 - June 2011 (n = 51,951). 'Masthead readership’ is the net readership of newspaper hard copy and website. Note: Newspaper readership based on Western Australia only; website readership is based on national readership of the site.


In Perth, the West Australian (published Mon-Sat) and the Sunday Times each publish a website in addition to their printed versions.93% of West Australian’s masthead readership read the printed version of this newspaper, compared to 86% for the Sunday Times.However, the Sunday Times website, perthnow.com.au, has 14% more readers than the West Australian’s site, thewest.com.au.

Brisbane, Adelaide & Hobart Metro Daily Newspapers


Source: Roy Morgan Single Source July 2010 – June 2011 (n = 51,951). 'Masthead readership’ is the net readership of newspaper hard copy and website. Note: Newspaper readership based on Mon-Sun issues in QLD, SA, TAS; website readership based on national readership of the site.


Key points regarding masthead readership for Brisbane, Adelaide and Hobart’s daily newspapers:

George Pesutto, Industry Director – Media, Roy Morgan Research says:

“Recently there has been much talk about newspaper circulation losses, but this data clearly demonstrates that, in one form or another, the service provided by newspapers is still in high demand.

“A newspaper brand’s digital presence enables it to reach a much broader audience, well outside of the geographic distribution area of just the paper copy. So even if a newspaper loses some of its paper copy readers, there’s a clear opportunity to increase total readership via digital channels.

“With 619,000 readers, The Australian’s website accounts for more than a third of its net masthead readership. Having just launched their website paywall, it will be interesting to see what effects (if any) this has on their website’s – and therefore total masthead – readership.

“These masthead readership results have implications for all newspaper brands. In years to come we might actually find that we have effectively grown the number of national newspaper brands: because what once was a largely state-based, print medium is fast becoming a national, even global, communication platform, to which the old geographic limitations do not apply.”

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