Media Usage Study:  Dec 2019-Jan 2020

Totum Research Inc., one of Canada's leading media research organizations, conducted a survey to determine news media and advertising preferences.  Local news is most important to Albertans, more than any other. 
And local community newspapers are the preferred method of communication. 
 
The survey was conducted by Totum Research Dec 2019-Jan 2020 by telephone and to Albertans 18 years of age or older in Alberta Communities less than 100K population, plus active farmers.

  
400 interviews for the province of Alberta were divided so as to reach Farms, Small Town/Village (<10K population), Small city/Large Town (10K – 50K population) and Medium City (50K to 100K population). 
 
 The Margin of Error on 400 interviews is +/- 4.9% at 95% confidence level.
 
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Interested in reading the Summer 2018 Media Usage Survey?  Key points and results available here

About News

     
    • Most respondents follow all types of news most of the time.
      • The printed, local community newspaper is the preferred source for all local information including news about people, events, jobs, businesses or sales and schools.
      • Most respondents follow their local news most of the time.
      • While men and women follow most news types equally avidly, women are more likely to follow local news more than men do.
    • In all the communities surveyed, the printed local community newspaper is the most trusted medium for news and advertising.


    VIEW - Preferred Medium for Community News

    About the Readers

    • 80% read a typical issue of the printed local newspaper weekly. 
The average time spent reading the printed local newspaper is 22 minutes per issue. 
    • The typical issue has an average of 1.5 readers per household.
    • 16% of respondents also visit the local newspaper’s website weekly spending almost 20 minutes on the site.
     

    About Digital Access

     
     
    • While significant numbers of people are involved in various online activities, for many of these activities half or more say their internet connection impacts their level of involvement.
 
    • The most important activities for people with internet connection are email, texting and researching products and services
    • 15% of respondents have no internet access.
     
     

    About Advertising

     
     
    • More than 2 in 5 respondents find ads in the printed local newspaper useful.
      • By contrast, 80% of respondents ignore, don’t notice or are annoyed by ads on websites.
    • Up to 30% of respondents use an ad blocker to avoid digital advertising.
      • Irrelevance, privacy and security were the most common reasons for respondents to avoid clicking on digital ads
    • Ads in the printed community newspaper are more likely than ads in other media to inspire action
    • Ads in the printed local newspaper produced more action than did online ads in every respect except going online for more information

     

    We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada
    through the Canada Periodical Fund of the Department of Canadian 
    Heritage.
      


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