The war with Iraq provided an opportunity to look into important questions that are top of mind for newspaper people as they strategize how to maintain readership among current customers and, importantly, entice lighter readers — who tend to skew younger — to read more.

Does newspaper readership increase during exceptional times, when major, dramatic news events occur? If so, are people reading more frequently? Spending more time with the newspaper? Are they less interested in other news? What elements of the big story most interest them? What are newspapers' strengths compared to other media?

What lessons can be learned for coverage of other big stories?

What can newspapers do to sustain any gains in readership, when times return to "normal?"

The Readership Institute (RI) surveyed more than 1,200 consumers across 100 markets in late March and early April of 2003 to gain insights into these questions. Those results, combined with other RI research, lead us to conclude that while current approaches work for some groups — primarily older, loyal readers — they are widely missing the mark with younger, lighter readers.


U.S. Daily Newspaper Readership During the War with Iraq - PDF
Download the full report in PDF format.

Pre-War Readership Questionnaire - PDF

War Coverage Questionnaire - PDF

Impact Study: Overview Page

Newspaper Consumers: Overview Page