Data confirms the value of local papers

New research is throwing fresh light on the importance of regional newspapers to their communities, providing information to national advertisers whose support can significantly influence what so many readers endearingly call their “local rag”.

The importance of a regional newspaper is obvious to anyone who lives outside metropolitan areas.

More than 50 per cent of those living outside the city limits say they trust news from their local newspaper more than TV or radio, and 77 per cent are more likely to visit a nearby retailer in response to a print ad than if they heard a similar message on TV or the radio.

These insights come from multinational research company, Ipsos, which measures newspaper readership in 41 countries around the world and has just launched a new measurement service — Enhanced Media Metrics Australia (emma) — with some of the nation’s top publishers.

The emma numbers support the increasing trend to think of regions beyond the stereotypes of communities relying only on agriculture, mining and government services.

Many high streets of regional centres are as dominated by big brands, such as Bunnings and JB Hi-Fi, as any retail strip in the cities.

This is not a coincidence. The emma data, secured from 54,000 interviews annually, finds the average annual wage in a regional centre is $75,000, only $5000 less than in the city. Residents of regional towns are also more likely to own their home.

The regional market is sizeable, too. More than 7.6 million live outside the city limits, which means that from a marketers’ point of view regional Australia represents a market segment that rivals Sydney and Melbourne combined.

Consumer habits in the regions are similar to those of metro areas. They spend just as much in supermarkets as city dwellers but actually splurge more than anyone else on electrical goods.

Some 43 per cent of all car buyers live in regional centres. Those thinking of buying a car are three times as likely to drive away in a sedan as a ute or four-wheel-drive, further crushing city folks’ stereotype of regional Australia.

Newspaper media plays a huge role in regional towns. Some 3 million read a regional newspaper and just over half of those readers (1.6 million) will also be a regular buyer of a national or metropolitan newspaper.

The same is not true if the situation is reversed. Only 5 per cent of regional newspapers are bought by city residents, which is great news for local advertisers concerned about so-called wastage of their marketing dollar. Regional newspapers really hit their target markets.

According to the data, readers of regional papers say they “feel more positive” about a store or business that advertises in their local paper (54%), outstripping by a factor of two both local television (24%) and local radio (26%).

Trust and credibility in print newspapers are likely to be major factors in this response. There are countless ways in which the regional and local newspapers serve their towns and readers every week.

Often, only the extreme cases are highlighted. One of the most recent was the bush fires in NSW last October. The increase in web traffic for local newspapers such as Lithgow Mercury (481%), Newcastle Herald (335%) and Maitland Mercury (227%) illustrated how readers trust the web sites of their local papers to find critical information in a time of crisis.

In smaller communities, people understand and appreciate the level of commitment of local journalists. There are many stories of journalists staying at their desks to publish important information when they know their own house has burned to the ground, or damaged by floods or a cyclone.

That trust extends beyond editorial columns and into advertisements, which play an important role in providing readers with information about the goods and services available locally. A survey on trust of media by Nielsen last September found newspaper advertising was the most trusted paid advertising (58%), closely followed by magazines (56%).

Data from the industry body, The Newspaper Works, says regional newspapers (60%) outscore TV (29%) and radio (36%) as the most trusted paid advertising.

Readers’ trust fundamentally relies on the quality of journalism and the skill and commitment of the newspaper to be a positive contributor to its community, mixing praise and criticism where it is needed and in line with the expectations of their readers.

A local paper can never be trusted if it simply cheer-leads, or expends all its column centimetres carping about everything that is supposedly wrong with its community. The editor must strike a balance, and sometimes that judgment can be difficult.

Regional papers have struck this balance as well, and arguably better, than national and metropolitan titles.

The challenges confronting city media today, in terms of competing in a fragmented market of countless digital content choices, is no less real for regional newspapers in the medium term.

All the signs point to regional newspapers continuing their successes because in media nothing beats the privilege of having the trust of your audience.

Mark Hollands is chief executive of The Newspaper Works.