Free newspapers keep London in the print news habit

The emergence of free newspapers has boosted the popularity of print-based news in the Capital, with more full-time workers saying they follow London news from a free newspaper (44%) during the working day than those that would follow news online from a computer (34%) or tablet (5%) during the working day.

These are some of the preliminary findings from a forthcoming new elephant communications study on media habits around the UK, which will be published at the start of May. The new probe will explore consumer attitudes to a range of emerging digital, mobile and social media platforms relative to the latest attitudes to print and broadcast news. 

The London study also revealed that 39% of Londoners said they were more likely to read the Evening Standard since it became free of charge. Further, the research also suggests the appeal of free newspapers is not limited to a single title - for example, 67% of Evening Standard readers said they also read the Metro and 57% of Metro readers said they also followed the Evening Standard. 

Whilst has been a considerable focus in recent years on social and digital media, our new research reveals that the majority of UK consumers follow news from a broad range of media which, if anything, seems to be getting broader. The London research showcases the impact that free newspapers are having which would be more difficult to note from a general UK study. Whilst many in the PR world focus heavily on social media, from the consumer perspective there is a much broader canvas.

For more information on forthcoming elephant report and other themes it explores, contact us at info@elephantcommunications.co.uk