Suburbans New Zealand’s most-read newspapers

Local suburbans are collectively the most read newspapers in New Zealand.

38.4% of adults surveyed nationwide between September 13 and 17 say they have read a suburban newspaper in the past 30 days, the equivalent of more than 1.29 million aged 18+, according to a new HorizonPoll survey.

The New Zealand Herald (Monday to Friday edition) has been read by 31%, or more than 1.14 million of the country’s 3.36 million adults. 20% (685,400 adults) had read the Herald’s Saturday edition.  Some 13% (about 436,800 adults) have read The Dominion Post; 8.2% The Press (275,500), 7.6% the Waikato Times (255,360) and 5.3% (178,080) the Otago Daily Times.

Another 34% (1.14 million) say they have read other local daily newspapers.

In the Sunday newspaper battle, the Sunday Star Times has attracted 12.8% of adults (430,000), The Herald on Sunday 12.4% (416,600) and the Sunday News 5.9% (198,200).

The National Business Review attracted 2% (67,200adults).

Internet site user ratings

Google is the country’s most used internet site, attracting 81.7% of adults in the past 30 days, the equivalent of 2.74 million people.

It is followed by Trade me with 76.7% (2.57 million), and online banking 55.3% (1.85 million).

The Stuff web site attracted the highest number of readers of news media sites, 38.8% or 1.30 million adults, followed by the TVNZ site with 35.5% (1.19 million) and the New Zealand Herald online with 30.4% (1.02 million).

TV3’s web site attracted 23.7% (796,300). The RadioLive and NewstalkZB web sites each attracted just fewer than 5% (about 161,000 adults) while Radio New Zealand’s trailed at 2.8% (940,000).

Social media site use

Facebook remains the country’s leading social web site with 75% of adults saying they have used it in the past 30 days, the equivalent of 2.52 million people.

Google search runs a close second (73.9%, 2.48 million users), followed by You Tube (64.9%, 2.18 million). There’s a large drop back to Yahoo! mail with 39.5% (1.32 million) and Gmail (26.1%, 876,900). Skype has been used by 22.4% (752,600) and Hotmail by 21.7% (729,100).

Results from 2012 are here and September 2011 here

The HorizonPoll involved online interviews with 664 adults nationwide between September 13 and 16. Results are weighted by age, gender, ethnicity, region, personal income and party vote 2011 to represent the adult population at the 2006 census. At a 95% confidence level the maximum margin of error is +/- 3.8%.

For further information please contact:

Grant McInman, Manager, Horizon Research Limited, e-mail: manager@horizonresearch.co.nz; telephone 021 076 2040