Why we reach more readers than ever

Local newspapers are not on their last legs, despite reports to the contrary on television and in national papers.
In truth we are progressing through a rapid and exciting transition into a multi-media organisation.
Once we published on paper once a week. Now we also publish online every day with our websites showing dramatic increases in readers. Consequently we reach more people today than we have in our long history.
Here are a few more facts which are worth reading.
Eighty-two per cent of adults, 40 million people, read a local newspaper, making it the most widely-read medium in the country, including 74.6 per cent per cent of people aged between and 15 and 24 (BMRB/TGI 2008).
Monthly unique users for regional press websites are estimated at over 24.4m (Annual Industry Survey 2007).
As a source of information about the local area in which people live, local newspapers are three times more popular than the next medium, BBC TV news. (Press Gazette/YouGov 2007)
Local newspapers and their associated websites are 49 per cent more trusted and relied-upon than the nearest medium, commercial TV (the wanted ads III 2007).
Advertising on local newspaper websites is 77 per cent more likely to be believed and relied upon than advertising on other websites (the wanted ads III 2007).
Philip Welch