A whopping 77% of consumers surveyed said they rely on local newspapers for community news and information, across platforms (print, websites, social media and apps) and demos. When you look at generational usage it is compelling to see that Millennials, Gen Xers and Boomers are each almost two times as likely to frequent local newspaper websites or social media as compared to these same brand outlets for TV, radio or magazines.
In other words, newspaper brands appear to withstand fragmented distribution (e.g., through Facebook, AppleTV, Snapchat Discover) as the content is recognized as one unified trusted information source. Even Millennials frequent newspaper websites and social media because they want news from a source they trust.
Newspaper advertising and editorial are both valued by consumers. While this is not new news, it suggests that the utility of the medium has remained essentially unchanged and is viewed positively despite the proliferation of new media choices. Ads in printed newspapers are considered by local market consumers to be "most believable," while radio commercials and ads appearing on non-media branded social media sites are "most annoying."