Community newspapers deliver

Community newspapers and their websites are hyper-local. And as a result, they are able to target their region like no other medium as this Canadian study reveals.

Why Community Newspapers?

Across Canada, community newspapers provide printed newspapers to local households one or more times each week. These newspapers are relevant and advertising within newspaper pages is trusted more than any other medium.

This finding is also replicated in an Australian study, Engaging Communities, which found that consumers trust their local paper and this extends from editorial to advertising with an overwhelming 96% of readers having taken action after reading an ad in their local paper.

The Canadian study also reveals that 41% of local households state that community newspapers are the medium used to check out ads – more than radio, TV, internet, magazines and catalogues combined.

Community Newspapers key findings:

  • Community newspapers touch all the key communities: There are more than 1,100 community newspapers in Canada.
  • Community newspapers have strong readership: 74% of adults read a Community Newspaper (weekday or weekend).
  • Community newspapers reach hard-to-access Canadians: Approximately one third of Canadians only read a community newspaper (not other newspapers) and are light TV and light radio users (Consume under 3 hours of TV and are less likely to have listened to the radio the day before).
  • Community newspaper readers are a desirable audience: 73% of readers are university educated and 76% earn more than $75,000 annually in household income.
  • Community newspaper readers keep the paper: Nearly 40% keep their community newspaper more than one week.
  • Community newspaper readers spend time with the paper: 73% read most or all of the community newspaper and these readers spend an average of 40 minutes with the paper.
  • Community newspapers are a shared paper: Readers on average share the paper with 2.4 additional readers.
  • Readers want the ads: Almost half of readers indicate there are days when they read the community newspaper as much for the ads as for the news.


Download a detailed summary of the research below.

More research on Regional and Community Newspapers

Engaging Communities (2009): This major Australian-wide study reveals higher levels of consumer engagement with their community and local newspapers.

The Wanted Ads (2008): They key take-out from this UK study is that consumer involvement in regional press spans both editorial and advertising. Ad avoidance simply isn't an issue in the regional press and readers seek out and act upon advertising.

Local Media Websites trusted far more than other sites (2007): This UK research finds that regional newspaper websites draw on the inherent qualities of their parent newspapers, making their advertising nearly twice as trusted and relied-upon as other website advertising. 

Source: Canadian Newspaper Association

Canadian Newspaper Association: Community Newspapers Deliver (204k, Acrobat (.pdf) format)