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Regional press news - this story published 15 May 2006

20 things you should know about regional press

by holdthefrontpage staff

Local Newspaper Week came to an end yesterday, following celebrations at titles across the country.

Here are a few things you might not know about the industry...

There are 1,299 regional and local newspapers in the UK today. (Source: Newspaper Society).

83.6 per cent of British adults – 40m people – read a regional newspaper, making it the most widely read medium in the country. (Source: BMRB/TGI 2005).

One in three adults who read a regional newspaper do not read a national daily. (Source: BMRB/TGI 2005).

One of the most popular of all newspaper topics is local news – 39.3 per cent of adults say this is a category they find "very interesting". (Source: BMRB/TGI 2005).

On average, people spend 25.3 minutes reading a regional newspaper (Source: JICREG May 2005).

More than half of all adults (51 per cent) said they would turn to their local newspaper first when looking for a new job – making it the most popular method of recruitment. (Source: Recruitment Choice, 2005)

Some 3,491 local newspapers are sold in the UK every minute. (Source: ABC/independent audits).

More than 35.3m regional newspapers are sold, and 29.1m distributed free, every week. (Source: AA Yearbook).

UK people spend over £730m each year on buying regional papers. (Source: Advertising Statistics Yearbook 2005).

15m more UK adults read a regional newspaper (40m) than listen to local commercial radio (25m). (Source: TGI/BMRB 2005, RAJAR Q3 2005)

There are 509 regional press websites (Annual Industry Survey 2004), and over 90 per cent of the industry has an online presence. online recruitment advertising expenditure doubled between 2002 and 2004. (Source: The Newspaper Society).

There are 86 regional press publishers in the UK, 40 of which own just one local paper. (Source: Newspaper Society).

Regional newspapers are seen to understand the concerns and lifestyle of the population better than any other media. (Source: Consumers’ Choice V 2005).

The regional press is considered by the UK population to be the most trustworthy of all media (20 per cent) followed by BBC TV (19 per cent). (Source: Consumers’ Choice V 2004).

The regional press is the UK’s biggest print advertising medium, accounting for more than £3bn in ad revenue. (Source: Advertising Statistics Yearbook 2005).

Advertising in the regional press is the most frequently acted upon of all media, with 61 per cent of people responding to advertising in this medium. (Source: Consumers’ Choice V 2004).

69 per cent of Britain’s influential business community reads a local newspaper. (Source: Business Choice II, 2003).

Regional newspapers account for almost half of the UK’s classified advertising (45.6 per cent). (Source: Advertising Statistics Yearbook 2005).

Around one-third of all copies of national newspapers are printed on regional newspaper presses. (Source: Production Journal).

Anyone can set up a newspaper – you don't need a licence.

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