the great decline
Houston newspaper readership is the second lowest in the entire U.S. — only Atlanta hates its papers more
If losing newspaper readers was a race, Houston would in the top three according to a new study.
Market research giant Scarborough — which has been tracking online and print newspaper reading rates since 2001 — reports that less than one in five Bayou City residents picks up a daily paper copy of the Houston Chronicle or any other newspaper, compared to one in two in cities like Pittsburgh, Toledo and Hartford. The study shows that 18 percent of Houstonians read the Chronicle.
In the past decade, the nation has seen a 20-percent decline in print newspaper readership. Interestingly, the rate has been relatively uneven with the Great Lakes cities and northeast corridor enjoying far higher readership than urban areas across the Sun Belt.
At 9 percent, Houston's newspaper online website readership is in line with its fellow cities on the list, which average around 10 percent.
Here's a rundown of the findings, but be sure to check out the Ad Age website for a cool additional infographic.
Highest readership
- 51% — Pittsburgh
- 49% — Albany and Hartford/New Haven
- 48% — Cleveland
- 47% — Buffalo, Honolulu, New York and Toledo
Lowest readership
- 23% — Atlanta
- 24% — Houston and San Antonio (tied for second worst)
- 26% — Bakersfield, Calif. and Las Vegas
