ONLINE NEWSPAPER AUDIENCE SETS RECORDS IN FIRST QUARTER

Unique Audience, Page Views and Time Spent Jump in First Quarter

Arlington , Va. – More than 59 million people (37.6 percent of all active Internet users) visited newspaper Web sites on average during the first quarter of 2007, a record number that represents a 5.3 percent increase over the same period a year ago, according to custom analysis provided by Nielsen//NetRatings for the Newspaper Association of America. In addition, newspaper Web site visitors generated nearly three billion page views per month throughout the quarter, compared to just under 2.7 billion during the same period last year. The first quarter figures are the highest for any quarter since NAA began tracking these numbers in 2004.
“These record-setting numbers underscore newspapers’ success in capturing online audiences and the importance of newspaper Web sites to the growing newspaper footprint,” said NAA President and CEO John F. Sturm. “Newspaper Web sites continue to grow audience and contribute to newspapers’ broadening revenue streams. In addition, the sites attract a younger, more affluent audience coveted by advertisers while providing a valuable service to readers seeking immediate information from a trusted local source.”
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