Newspapers and the election cycle.

The 2024 political season is shaping up to be one for the history books, partly due to political spending.  Ad Impact projects the 2023-2024 election cycle will see a record $10.2 billion spent on candidates and issue advocacy causes, while some media outlets report spending forecasts as high as $16 billion.

As budgets for political spending are allocated, many agencies develop a multipronged approach to reach the electorate, a vast audience of adults 18 and over. As newspapers are weighted high in media consumption, they must be an integral part of any successful campaign. In Pennsylvania, the datasets compiled about newspaper readers are an excellent case study of the importance of newsprint.

In any Pennsylvania election, whether local, state or presidential1:

  • 82% of news media consumers trust print in newspapers more than any other source.
  • 68% of political campaign contributors act as a result of a newspaper ad.
  • 37% of contributors are more likely than the average person to visit a local newspaper website.

A breakdown by party demonstrates the strength newspapers have across the political spectrum.2

In local elections, the percentages of Pennsylvania voters who read a newspaper weekly are:

  • 3% of Democrats.
  • 2% of Republicans.
  • 2% of independents.

In state elections, the percentages of commonwealth voters who read a newspaper weekly are:

  • 2% of Democrats.
  • 2% of Republicans.
  • 8% of independents.

In presidential elections, the percentages of Pennsylvania voters who read a newspaper weekly are:

  • 4% of Democrats.
  • 5% of Republicans.
  • 8% of independents.

The results are clear.  Over two-thirds of Pennsylvanians voters, no matter what level of government the political campaign, are engaged with newspapers.

As 2024 progresses, MANSI Media will continue to leverage our research tools and years of experience to help make Pennsylvania newspapers an attractive buy for candidates.  Contact us today and see how we take action and get results.

 

Sources: 1AudienceSCAN®; 22023 Release 1 Nielsen Scarborough Report. Copyright 2023 Scarborough Research. All rights reserved.;