Mediahuis Ireland, publisher of titles like the Irish Independent, the Sunday Independent, the Belfast Telegraph and Independent.ie, has published details of new research into effectiveness of advertising in news media in addition to the impact of trust and quality perceptions associated with it.
The research was carried out by the market research firm Opinions in Q2 of 2023 and a total of 1,514 adults were surveyed.
The ambition was to further understand the effectiveness of advertising in a news media context based on the impact of the trust and quality perceptions associated with news media. The nationally representative online survey was conducted in Q2 amongst n=1,514 Irish adults and is a reliable and representative resource for understanding the market.
The findings highlighted that the weekly market penetration for digital news sits ahead of newspapers and podcasts; with 2 in 3 (66%) adults engaging with digital news apps/sites on a weekly basis, increasing to 7 in 10 amongst those over 45. In addition, 4 in 10 (39%) read the newspaper more than once a week, increasing to 48% for those over 45. Similarly, 39% listen to podcasts on a weekly+ basis, increasing to 48% for those under 45.
The research also found that amongst regular readers/listeners/viewers of each channel, newspapers are one of the most positively endorsed medium in terms of engagement sitting just behind TV and podcasts. While 44% of those surveyed stated that they enjoy and/or take time to look at the advertising in this medium. Additionally, 2 in 10 weekly newspaper readers purchased something as a result of newspaper advertising.
The research found that the Irish Independent is ranked as Irelands top newspaper sitting just ahead of the Irish Times, the Sunday Independent and local news. The top two digital sites for news were RTE.ie and Independent.ie
In terms of the digital audio offerings of news media, Nicola Tallant’s Crime World comes in just after “My Therapist Ghosted Me” as the second most listened to podcast gaining similar traction amongst those both under and over 45.
The research also uncovered the content preferences of the Irish public and how they engage with advertising in various media types across key media titles in Ireland. Travel, holidays and local news register the highest level of interest amongst the public; with 6 in 10 adults planning on booking an overseas holiday in the next 12 months.
The research also noted that news in all its forms plays and important role in Irish society and its stronghold continues to be “trustworthiness, quality and depth.”
For their part, digital news apps and sites differentiate from other channels as being a core part of day-to-day life and a ‘go to’ source for news updates. They are also associated with being “informative, interesting and serious”, the research found. In contrast podcasts are more closely aligned with being “easy, fun and surprising.”
The Mediahuis research comes months after research by NewsBrands Ireland and Kantar which found that 82% of Irish adults read a print or online news title every week.
The research from Kantar TGI’s Republic of Ireland survey shows that 3.25m people read a print or digital news title every week. It also found that 78% of 16–31-year-olds read a news title/app every week. While newspaper and online ads are in the top 3 for attention and purchase decisions with news lovers with 18% more likely to pay most attention to ads in newspapers, than the average adult.
