Readership soars for the voice of Geelong

MORE people than ever are turning to the Geelong Advertiser for their up-to-date local news and sport coverage, according to the latest industry data.

Official figures released on Monday by independent industry readership metric emma — Enhanced Media Metrics Australia — show that for the three-month period to December last year, the Addy’s weekday print readership soared by 9.8 per cent to 56,000, with a combined audience across print and digital of 416,000 people.

There was also a boost in the audience of the Addy’s sport content, with 16 per cent more readers turning to the Addy for local sport stories on weekdays, and a 6.5 per cent surge on Saturdays.

The figures also follow the Addy passing the milestone in recent weeks of having 17,000 paid-up digital subscribers.

Editor Elise Potter said the data reflected the Addy’s commitment to investing in journalism that told uniquely Geelong stories and celebrated local people. “We are so grateful for the readers that continue to support the Addy and have made us an integral part of the Geelong community for more than 180 years,” Ms Potter said.

“We love where we live and work, and feel privileged to be the custodians of this region’s stories. We will continue to advocate for our local community and bring you those Geelong stories you can’t read anywhere else.”

The emma survey is conducted by Ipsos Connect on behalf of The Readership Works and undergoes regular independent external audits to ensure the suitability of all research techniques used.

It is based on an annual sample size of more than 30,000 each year, making it one of the largest studies of its kind in the world.