According to a recent poll by AdWeekMedia and Harris Interactive:

Just two in five U.S. adults (43%) say they read a daily newspaper, either online or in print almost every day. Just over seven in ten Americans (72%) say they read one at least once a week while 81% read a daily newspaper at least [...]]]>

According to a recent poll by AdWeekMedia and Harris Interactive:

Just two in five U.S. adults (43%) say they read a daily newspaper, either online or in print almost every day. Just over seven in ten Americans (72%) say they read one at least once a week while 81% read a daily newspaper at least once a month. One in ten adults (10%) say they never read a daily newspaper.

The poll also found that the readership of daily newspapers is “graying.” Nearly two-thirds of those aged 55 and older (64%) reported that they still read a daily newspaper almost every day.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drb62/ / CC BY-SA 2.0

So what does this new data mean for media outreach planning? Well, it demonstrates that when developing media strategies and particularly, media lists, we can’t rely solely on daily newspapers anymore. Instead, diversifying the types of outlets included in media outreach is key to expanding the reach of our messages, as well as connecting with younger audiences.

However, we can’t ignore daily newspapers completely. Daily newspapers continue to influence, and at times drive, the daily news cycle. Their value is no longer the size of their readership alone, but how their stories and coverage of issues are picked up by other media channels.

2009 was a rough year for the media business and challenges will continue this year. To keep track of how the media, especially newspapers, are fairing in 2010, follow TheMediaisDying on Twitter for daily updates about outlets closing and reporting staff changes.