Seven In 10 Aussies Access News Media On Digital Platforms, And Other emma Stats

Almost three quarters of Australians (71 per cent or 12.7 million) are accessing news media content on digital platforms, such as desktop, smartphones and tablets, according to the latest emma  (Enhanced Media Metrics Australia) data* released today.

Print news media continue to maintain a large audience with 13.7 million readers, or 76 per cent of the population. National and metro print news media are read by 11.7 million people each month. One in five Australians read regional print news media while community newspapers reach 4.9 million people a month.

The emma data for the 12 months to February 2016 now includes the IAB-endorsed digital currency data, Nielsen’s Digital Ratings Monthly (DRM). This replaces the previous digital currency, Nielsen Online Ratings (NOR). Due to this change of methodology, there is a trend break in the data that means digital audience comparisons to previous periods are not valid.

“The incorporation of Nielsen’s DRM is a further enhancement for emma and Ipsos’s commitment to rigor, accuracy and innovation and provide a clear picture of digital news media audiences,” The Newspaper Works CEO Mark Hollands said.

“The emma data shows that news media audiences are of high quality. An analysis of income levels and shopping habits shows readers earn more and spend more than other consumers.”

News media readers earn an average of $82,000 p.a., which is $16,400 p.a. more than other consumers, emma data reveals.

Retailers that advertise in news media reach consumers who love to shop locally, with readers eight8 per cent more likely to visit their nearest shopping strip than non-readers.

Across a range of categories, readers spend more than other shoppers. For example, when it comes to buying their next car, readers intend to spend 14 per cent more than non-readers and spend 32 per cent more on home entertainment and electronics than non-readers.

The Sydney Morning Herald has Australia’s largest cross platform readership, reaching 5.9 million readers. The Daily Telegraph followed with 4.5 million readers and the Herald Sun with 4.4 million. 

Fairfax Media’s Australian publishing media commercial & marketing services director, Tom Armstrong, said its growth in the market is on the up.

“According to emma, Fairfax Media reached 12.9 million, or seven in 10 Australians aged 14+ in February, demonstrating the strength and scale of our network in reaching and engaging with audiences across print and digital platforms.

“Australia’s number one news destination, The Sydney Morning Herald, reached a total masthead audience of 5.9 million in February according to emma, 1.4 million more than its nearest competitor.”

A News Corp Australia spokesperson also commented, “It’s official – our cross-platform audience is now bigger than Facebook’s. Today’s emma data, in combination with Nielsen’s new DRM confirms that no-one comes close to the reach and engagement that we have with Australians”.

NB: With the recent release of Nielsen’s Digital Ratings (Monthly), thewest.com.au’s mobile and tablet audience is under-represented. This is a result of restrictions in Nielsen’s methodology being able to capture iOS mobile secure sessions (HTTPS) due to privacy restrictions inherent to the operating system. This gap will be addressed by Nielsen with the launch of Digital Content Ratings in the coming months.
* Source: emmaTM, 12 months to February 2016. Readership based on last four weeks. Survey conducted by Ipsos MediaCT, people 14+, Nielsen Digital Ratings (Monthly) February 2016.