Newspapers stand out as Florida’s Top Source of advertising.

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%) 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%) say newspapers are their primary source. The Internet ranked second among this age group at 19%. 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 in-depth 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% (10.2 million) of adults in Florida read at least one newspaper during the week, much higher than the national average of 52%.
– 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 upon request.

For more information at http://www.flpress.com/>