World Press Trends

World Press Trends: Internet

For the 31 countries for which there is comparable data for 1999 and 2000, the number of daily newspaper websites increased in two-thirds of them, remained stable in almost a third and dropped in only one. In Argentina, newspaper web sites rose from 49 to 100; in Australia, they were up from 122 to 172, in Germany, up from 179 to 232; in Japan, up from 71 to 79; in Spain, up from 29 to 85; and in the US, up from 1,149 to 1,207. In Brazil, they were down from 192 to 116.

Although comparisons between markets are difficult, and readership measurements vary enormously, the data on internet readership "proves beyond any doubts that the audience of all newspapers is undergoing major expansion through on-line editions," said Mr Balding. "It also suggests that we should not neglect the search for establishing ways of incorporating this extended and, in many cases, new readership into the measure of our audience."

In the 17 countries for which data is available, two newspapers emerge far above the rest in terms of the volume of their on-line readership: Bild, in Germany, whose on-line edition records 39.2 million page impressions per month (daily print circulation is 4.3 million), and The Irish Times, in Dublin, whose online edition records 17.8 million page impressions per month (daily print circulation is 116,000).

In many countries, the difference in online readership between the leading newspapers bears no resemblance in size to the difference in the circulations of their print editions, suggesting there is a considerable additional benefit to be gained from being online champion in a market.

World Press Trends includes general data on internet adspend from 27 countries, though it does not indicate the share which goes to newspaper sites. The leader of internet adspend in terms of market share is Sweden, with 6.5 percent of all advertising investments in 2000 that went to the web. The runner up was the US, with 4.5 percent.

In terms of growth, the leaders were India (up 383 percent), Israel (up 328 percent), Spain (up 253 percent), Germany (up 212 percent), Switzerland (up 200 percent), Thailand (up 150 percent), Japan (up 145 percent), the Netherlands (up 144 percent), and Australia (up 142 percent).

In dollar terms, the highest volumes for 2000 were found in the United States (7 billion), Japan (518 million), Germany (256 million), France (226 million), the United Kingdom (155 million), and Brazil (100 million).