Newspapers are Florida's top advertising source

When Florida consumers want a new car, need a new appliance, or are in search of the best deals at local supermarkets, most of them, regardless of their age, still turn to their local newspaper.

A statewide research study, conducted for the Florida Press Association by American Opinion Research, finds that two-thirds (66 percent) of those who use any advertising say newspapers are their primary source of local sales and shopping information. Even among younger adults, ages 18 to 29, almost half (47 percent) say newspapers are their primary source. The Internet ranked second among this age group at 19 percent. Newspapers are even stronger among other age groups.

"There is a false perception among many people that newspapers have become antiquated," said Carol Hudler, president and publisher of The News-Press and Gannett Sun Coast Newspapers. "These study results are not surprising to those in the industry, but in a changing world, they confirm the value of a newspaper's portability and its indepth local shopping information."

The study found that Florida consumers look to newspapers as the top source of advertising for a wide variety of products and services including groceries, major appliances, autos, hardware, real estate, employment and local entertainment. Groceries, jobs and entertainment are particularly strong, with 6 in 10 consumers saying newspapers are their main source.

These are some other key findings of the survey:

82 percent (10.2 million) of adults in Florida read at least one newspaper during the week, much higher than the national average of 52 percent.

Newspaper readership is strong among all demographic groups, even among the youngest adults ages 18 to 24.

Almost 6 in 10 Floridians read a weekly or community newspaper.

"This study confirms that Florida consumers are avid newspaper readers," said Hudler. "It also shows there is a strong potential for newspapers to further build readership."

A total of 1,000 interviews were conducted during the study, using a systematic random selection of telephone households and respondents within each household. Results have a margin of error plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.

A complete copy of the study is available online at: http://www.flpress.com/statewidesu rvey.pdf