What Percent of Newspaper Readers Read Newspapers Online?
Newspapers have virtually failed to convert loyal print customers into online readers, according to some new calculations by the Nieman Journalism Lab’s Martin Langeveld. Only about 3 percent of newspaper readers read newspapers online, Langeveld estimates, levels that make it impossible to stay in business by replacing new digital advertising for lost revenue in print. The inevitable conclusion: newspapers do a horrendous job of retaining readers who, when online, flock instead to aggregation sites, national and international news services and blogs. Of the top 20 news sites ranked by Alexa, only three are traditional U.S. newspapers. Topping the list: Yahoo, the BBC, CNN. News alternatives abound online, of course, and newspapers blame the aggregators among them for much of their woes. But if Langeveld’s calculations are remotely accurate the extent to which there is a disconnect between offline and online readership loyalty is staggering. To make matters worse, the latest assault on
