Print Most Certainly Isn’t Dead!
When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, digital news channels registered substantial increases in traffic and attention, with users flocking to news sites daily to monitor the pandemic’s progression and impact.
An interesting development in print media also occurred. While the medium has seen a general decline since digital news has taken over, a few select titles have maintained a strong position in the media landscape. In fact, high-quality print press has, exceptionally, registered increases in circulation (both subscription and newsstand) during the pandemic. Here, readers have been prioritising trustworthy and respected titles for their accurate information, as well as their expert guidance, in navigating the impact of the pandemic, particularly in a professional capacity.
Looking at the French market, Les Echos, France’s leading business and finance daily, is one of the only daily French press titles to have registered an increase in circulation with a total of 132,822 (ACPM Nov 2020). This represents a notable +2.08% increase from 2019 to 2020 and a huge increase of +11% over the last 10 years – confirming its prestigious position as a key reference source for French decision makers. Similarly, Le Point has affirmed its unique and respected position on the French market as the No.1 news magazine with a total paid circulation of 297,396 – a significant increase of +4.5% v 2019 (OJD DFP 2019/2020).
Similar developments have also been registered in other markets, such as Germany, as recently shared by our German partners, iq media. Handelsblatt, the leading business and financial daily newspaper has seen subscriptions to the print edition increase by 2% to 86,878, whereas WirtschaftsWoche, the leading weekly business magazine, has registered a +7.5% increase in subscriptions and a +26.5% in newsstand sales. DIE ZEIT, Germany’s leading quality weekly newspaper, has even achieved its third record circulation in a row with 547,390 sold copies – and posted a monumental growth of 15.4% in subscriptions and newsstand sales.
