Regional Newspapers - UK - July 2019

OVERVIEW
What you need to know
Covered in this Report
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The market
Print circulations continue to decline
Figure 1: Forecast of regional newspaper annual print circulations, 2014-24
Online audiences on rapid rise
Figure 2: Forecast of digital regional newspaper networks’ daily unique browser numbers, 2014-24
Journalism review signposts sustainable future
Pressure on print sees more papers close...
...but new titles keep on coming
The consumer
Local papers still reaching mass audiences
Figure 3: Frequency of reading regional newspapers, April 2019
Names and faces keep readers coming
Figure 4: Regional newspaper content considered most worth paying for online, April 2019
Kind hearts but no coronets
Figure 5: Sentiment towards local and regional newspapers, April 2019
Readers prefer to ‘pay’ with their data
Figure 6: Registration with regional newspapers online, April 2019
What we think
ISSUES AND INSIGHTS
Unbundled content: breaking up or breaking out?
The facts
The implications
Readers as editors
The facts
The implications
THE MARKET – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Print circulation continues downward spiral
Digital reach sustains double-digit growth
Cairncross Review offers new vision for the future
Social and search remain key rivals for eyeballs
MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
No end in sight for print circulation decline
Figure 7: Forecast of regional newspaper annual print circulations, 2014-24
Online reach remains on rapid rise
Figure 8: Forecast of digital regional newspaper networks’ daily unique browser numbers, 2014-24
Forecasts
Figure 9: Forecast of regional newspaper annual print circulations, 2014-24
Figure 10: Forecast of digital regional newspaper networks’ daily unique browser numbers, 2014-24
Forecast methodology
MARKET DRIVERS
Search for new business models continues
Figure 11: Newspaper subscriptions, December 2018
Nine-point plan for a sustainable future of news
Pivot to privacy presents new social media challenge
Figure 12: Platforms used most often to follow local news, 2018
Digital devices moving all demographics online
Figure 13: Devices used to read online newspapers, December 2018
COMPANIES AND BRANDS – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pressure on print forces more closures
Free weeklies in most rapid decline
New titles continue to launch
AI technologies free up reporting resources
MARKET SHARE
Closures and consolidation remain on the cards
Free market leaders take edge off dailies’ decline
Figure 14: Average print circulation of leading daily regional newspapers, 2017 and 2018
Weeklies sector targeted by year’s biggest launch
Figure 15: Average print circulation of leading paid-for weekly regional newspapers, 2017 and 2018
Figure 16: Average print circulation of leading free weekly regional newspapers, 2017 and 2018
LAUNCH ACTIVITY AND INNOVATION
New titles great and small
AI enables more legwork and brain power
Twitter campaign looks to mobilise public affection
Big beasts start giving back
Can membership foster a new sense of community?
THE CONSUMER – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Regional press still reaching mass audiences
Names and faces keep selling for locals
Kind hearts but no coronets
Readers prefer to ‘pay’ with their data
READING HABITS
Dailies in need of more everyday interest
Figure 17: Frequency of reading daily regional newspapers, May 2018 and April 2019
Weeklies fit neatly into readers’ routines
Figure 18: Frequency of reading weekly regional newspapers, May 2018 and April 2019
Over-65s still prepared to pay
Figure 19: Types of regional newspapers read, May 2018 and April 2019
NEWSPAPER CONTENT
Sport top of the paid-for table
Figure 20: Regional newspaper content considered most worth paying for online, April 2019
Sport faces most competitive playing field
Figure 21: Interest in regional newspaper sports coverage, April 2019
Human interest takes in the good, the bad and the ugly truth
Figure 22: Interest in regional newspaper stories about local people, April 2019
VALUING REGIONAL NEWSPAPERS
Britons open their hearts, if not their wallets
Figure 23: Sentiment towards local and regional newspapers, April 2019
Subscribers keen to make the headlines
Figure 24: Non-content incentives to subscribing or registering with a local or regional newspaper online, April 2019
FUTURE FUNDING
Readers ready to register
Figure 25: Registration with regional newspapers online, April 2019
Paywalls raise risk of social divide
Figure 26: Willingness to pay for digital access to regional newspapers, April 2019
Donations’ full potential still to be explored
Figure 27: Financial donations in support of regional newspapers, April 2019
Subscription buffet a better option than paying à la carte
Figure 28: Preferred payment models for digital access to regional newspapers, April 2019
APPENDIX – DATA SOURCES, ABBREVIATION AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
Data sources
Abbreviations
Consumer research methodology
APPENDIX – MARKET SIZE AND FORECAST
Fan chart forecast
Figure 29: Forecast of regional newspaper annual print circulations, 2019-24
Figure 30: Forecast of digital regional newspaper networks’ daily unique browser numbers, 2019-24