Online Newspaper Readership Accelerated in 2007

The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) reports that 2007 was a record year for visits to online newspaper websites. Data collected by Nielsen Online in a report for NAA showed that the number of unique visits to newspaper sites grew by more than six percent from 2006. October of 2007 set a record for more visits to newspaper sites than any other month on record, with 63.2 million people logging visits. According to the report, 39 percent of “active web users” visited newspaper sites in the fourth quarter of 2007.

“Newspapers continue to successfully transform themselves into multimedia companies, offering unparalleled content that reaches an audience growing in both size and sophistication,” said NAA President and CEO John F. Sturm. “Newspapers’ expanding print and digital portfolio offers value to advertisers by providing a targeted, comprehensive menu of choices for today’s discriminating consumer. As our industry’s transition accelerates, it is clear consumers recognize newspapers as their trusted source of information in an increasingly digital environment.”

NAA started tracking online newspaper usage in January of 2004.