Despite a general decline in print readership, a new survey from Investis has revealed that print journalism remains a priority for those in the corporate sectors.
The survey, comprising 100 responses from members of listed companies and UK-based financial PRs, found that 93 per cent of respondents read at least one print newspaper on a regular basis.
Amongst listed companies, the Times / Sunday Times emerged as the most widely read print newspaper with 44 per cent of respondents saying they read the paper regularly, closely followed by the Financial Times with 43 per cent.
The prominence of the Evening Standard amongst members of listed companies is likely due to the London-centric nature of British business. The high position of both the Metro (35 per cent) and Evening Standard (39 per cent) over “pay per view” print suggests that whilst many still read print journalism, they are not always inclined to pay for it.
Speciality financial papers such as the Economist (18 per cent) fared poorly in comparison, with close to half the readers of the Metro.
In general, financial PRs said that they read a number of papers as opposed to settling on one particular publication; the higher proportions across all print newspapers attest to this. The Telegraph was the most popular print paper, with 70 per cent of the readership share, while the Financial Times (61 per cent), The Times / Sunday Times (57 per cent) and Economist also fared well.
However, the Metro performed less well amongst financial PRs, with only 17 per cent of respondents saying they read it regularly suggesting PRs are more inclined to pay for print newspapers than members from listed companies.
Full survey results
Printed Newspaper Readership - Listed Companies
The Times / Sunday Times 44%
Financial Times 43%
The Evening Standard 39%
Metro 35%
The Telegraph / Sunday Telegraph 24%
The Guardian / Observer 23%
The Economist 18%
City AM 15%
The Independent / Independent on Sunday 9%
None 6%
Printed Newspaper Readership – Financial PRs
The Telegraph / Sunday Telegraph 70%
Financial Times 61%
The Times / Sunday Times 57%
The Evening Standard 57%
The Economist 43%
City AM 39%
The Guardian / Observer 35%
Metro 17%
The Independent / Independent on Sunday 13%
None 9%