Australian Newspaper Readership, 12 months to September 2020

The readership estimates below are ‘average issue readership’ (AIR) over a 12 month period, and represent the number, or %, of Australians who read or look into an average issue of the particular publication.

This provides an estimate of the ‘reach’ an advertiser can expect to achieve with advertising placed in the publication.

These print readership estimates do not include the additional Australians who read the publications in their digital form online, via web, mobile or app.

The total reach – ‘cross-platform’ reach is greater than the ‘average issue reach’ of a publication as it includes additional readers and cover a 4 week period, rather than an average issue.

Print Newspaper Summary - September 2020

Weekend Newspaper Readership increases from a year ago as Australians seek out trusted sources

Australia’s best read weekend newspaper is again Sydney’s Sunday Telegraph with an average issue print readership of 630,000 – but down 4.0 per cent over the past year. However, other top five weekend newspapers all increased their print readership over the last year as Australians sought out trusted news sources.

In second place is southern stablemate the Sunday Herald Sun with a readership of 610,000, up 4.1 per cent on a year ago, followed by national broadsheet The Weekend Australian read by 606,000, up 10.8 per cent on a year ago.

Two Saturday papers fill out the top five most widely read weekend newspapers with the Melbourne-based Saturday Herald Sun read by 576,000, up 2.9 per cent on a year ago and the Saturday Sydney Morning Herald with a readership of 478,000, up by 6.5 per cent on a year ago.

Other widely read major titles declined including the The Sunday Mail in Queensland down 11.1 per cent to 473,000 and Melbourne’s Saturday Age down 3.4 per cent to 428,000 readers.

Top Weekend Newspapers – Ranked by Print Readership*

*Print readership is average issue readership.

The Canberra Times, Cairns Post and Geelong Advertiser all increased their print readership during the COVID-19 pandemic

Clearly the best performing regional newspaper over the past year has been the leading paper in our nation's capital The Canberra Times which increased its weekday print readership by a massive 57.1 per cent to 55,000 during the COVID-19 pandemic and is clearly Australia's most widely read regional newspaper.

Also performing well was the Cairns Post which increased its readership by 20.7 per cent to 35,000 and the Geelong Advertiser, up 13.3 per cent to a readership of 34,000.

The second most widely read regional newspaper is The Hobart Mercury with a readership of 45,000 (down 8.2 per cent) just ahead of the Townsville Bulletin also on 44,000 (down 10.0 per cent).

Two Eastern State regional titles are in equal fourth position including the Gold Coast Bulletin with a readership of 41,000 (down 16.3 per cent) level with the Newcastle Herald also with a readership of 41,000 (down 19.6 per cent).

Top Monday – Friday Regional Newspapers – Ranked by Print Readership*

*Print readership is average issue readership.