Don’t believe everything you read about the newspaper industry.
According to the latest Newspaper Audience Databank survey results released this morning, the vast majority of Canadians continue to read newspapers.
Last year, 69 per cent of Canadians – 12.9 million people – read a newspaper over the course of a week, and when online readers are added in, that number grows to 77 per cent.
“Newspapers continue to play an important role in the lives of Canadians,” said Metro English Canada group publisher Bill McDonald. “Readers in the millions rely on newspapers every day for the information that is important to their lives.”
As newspapers maintain their strength, Metro Canada is setting the industry standard – not just as the most read free daily in the country, but for all papers.
Metro Canada now reaches more than 1.1 million readers every day, an increase of 157,600 (17 per cent) over 2007. Weekly Metro readers in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver total 2.26 million, or 12 per cent more than in 2007.
“The Metro brand has solidified its leadership position from coast to coast,” said McDonald. “Readers and advertisers alike turn to Metro first every day for information, ideas and inspiration.”
After just celebrating our second year in operation, Metro Calgary is excited to see our daily readership increase by 15 per cent. In the five-day cumulative average, Metro Calgary showed its biggest increase, climbing 48 per cent.
“While rumours persist about the decline of newspaper readership, it’s clear that Metro Calgary is beating that trend by showing a healthy increase, especially among the young, active, metropolitan reader,” said Metro Alberta publisher, Steve Shrout.
“Calgarians have embraced Metro Calgary as their choice for free daily newspaper and we are eager to see what the future holds.”
