The latest Roy Morgan readership results for New Zealand’s print newspapers and magazines has over three million of us reading them weekly.
Specifically, the research says that 3.1 million, or 80.2 per cent of New Zealanders, aged over 14 years now read or access newspapers in an average seven-day period via print or online (website or app) platforms.
In addition, 2.3 million New Zealanders aged over 14 years read magazines whether in print or online either via the web or an app.
Four of New Zealand’s leading newspapers increased their cross-platform audience. New Zealand’s most widely read publication, the New Zealand Herald consolidated its overall readership with a total cross-platform audience of 1,806,000 in the 12 months to June 2018; up 2,000 on a year ago. It boasts a readership more than three times as large as Wellington’s Dominion Post on 500,000 and the national weekly The Sunday Star Times with 402,000 readers.
Although the Herald has maintained a clear pole position amongst New Zealand’s newspapers its cross-platform audience growth of 0.1 per cent over the past year was outpaced by the Sunday Star Times (6.3 per cent), the Otago Daily Times (4.7 per cent) and the Taranaki Daily News (14.8 per cent).
Cross-platform audience refers to the number of New Zealanders who have read or accessed individual newspaper content via print or online. Print is net readership in an average 7 days. Online is net readership online in an average 7 days.
New Zealand’s most widely read magazine remains driving magazine AA Directions with an average issue readership of 538,000 New Zealanders; up 31,000 on a year ago. Magazines to increase their print readership over the last year included AA Directions, New Zealand Listener, and New Zealand House & Garden. However, the New Zealand Listener leads total cross-platform audience growth. It has grown its total cross-platform audience by 7.3 per cent to 280,000, while Woman’s Day retains a larger total cross-platform audience of 346,000.
The leading newspaper inserted magazine is the Weekend New Zealand Herald newspaper inserted magazine Canvas with an average issue readership of 315,000 now clearly ahead of the Sunday Magazine included in the Sunday Star-Times on 268,000 followed by Weekend on 238,000, Your Weekend on 221,000 and rounding out the Top 5 is Bite on 207,000.
Canvas and Your Weekend were the only leading newspaper inserted magazines to grow their readership over the past year though neither outpaced New Zealand’s population growth.
