Readers’ trust in local newspapers has been transferred to their sister websites, according to a survey commissioned by the Newspaper Society.

It says investment in cross-platform delivery is working, with local websites drawing on the inherent qualities of the newspaper titles.

The survey shows the trust people have in local newspapers is true across all platforms and, combined, is 49 per cent more trusted and relied-upon than the nearest everyday medium of commercial television.

In the final stage of a three-part research project, four national brands ran test multimedia campaigns of up to five weeks using the Yorkshire Post, Bristol Evening Post, Northern Echo and Manchester Evening News both in print and online.

Afterwards almost 1,000 people were questioned, and results showed people were more aware of advertising in local media, trusted it more, and had a higher opinion of the brands when they featured in local media.

Robert Ray, marketing director at the NS, said the results were good news for local media owners, and were now being presented to advertisers and agencies across the country.

He said: “We already know that people trust their local newspaper above all other media but we wanted to find out whether that trust is applied across all platforms, and how it relates to advertising contained within them.

“Now we know that local media online, and the advertising contained within it, shares the same qualities as the local newspaper.

“While these platforms often serve completely different needs, they combine to form a powerful tool which large national clients can use to target specific communities across the country.”

A series of roadshows has begun, with the results presented at the offices of the Yorkshire Post, Manchester Evening News, Bristol Evening Post, The Scotsman, Newcastle Chronicle and Journal, and Belfast Telegraph.