Since Covid-19 restrictions were imposed in March there has been an average fall of 34 per cent in newspaper articles in Ireland, with the drop most severe in regional and local titles, a study by Truehawk Media shows. Articles in national newspapers fell by an average of 25 per cent, with Sunday titles down by 24.5 per cent compared to last year, the survey indicates.
The research shows that the deficit in regional and local titles appear to be increasing, with the number of articles down by 47 per cent in the week from May 18- 24. In order to assess the direct impact of Covid-19, a number of control weeks were assessed including the week beginning February 10, immediately following the country’s recent general election.
Based on the number of articles printed, the volume of newspaper articles published is down this year by 11.5 per cent in the titles analysed. However, Covid-19 accelerated the decline. “The cancellation or postponement of so many sports and cultural events has had an obvious impact across all publications,” said Truehawk Media CEO Derek Finnegan.
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“We’ve also seen some local regional titles pause, consolidate or cease production which has led to a seven per cent drop in the number of publications printed,” Finnegan added. “The analysis highlights the worrying impact that the coronavirus had on Irish media and specifically newspapers,” Truehawk’s sales and marketing director Shannon Rushe said.
The media analysis reveals the obvious challenge that lies ahead for press media.
“Less pages indicates less ad copy overall and we’re concerned that the independence of our newspaper industry may be threatened if sufficient funding models are not revived or created. Print journalists and the newspapers they work for play a vital role in our lives and communities which has been highlighted even more during this crisis,” Rushe added.
The total newspaper print articles analysed came to 274,845, covering such national titles as The Irish Times, Irish Independent, Irish Examiner, Irish Daily Star, The Herald, Evening Echo, Sunday Independent, Business Post and Sunday World. Truehawk Media tracks content for clients across all print, broadcast, online and social media platforms.
