Fact: Magazine readership is up

'The
truth of the matter is magazines are holding their own,” says D’Amico. “It’s steady across the board. It seems to be
universal.'

Fact: Magazine
readership is up

Nix to the naysayers, 5.3% increase since 1998

By Jeff Bercovici

    Pop quiz: Has magazine readership gone (a) up or (b) down in the last five years?
The obvious guess is (b). After all, total magazine circulation, which rose steadily for decades, has finally begun falling, helped along by the proliferation of competing content on the internet and cable TV.
   But the correct answer, as you've surely guessed by now, is (a). In fact, readership of 171 continuously published titles increased 5.3 percent among adults from 1998 to 2002, according to a new report by MRI.
That's faster than the 4.4 percent growth of the U.S. adult population during the same period, according to MRI, which based its report on an analysis of more than 26,000 at-home interviews, conducted annually.
   The analysis looked at the audiences of 171 magazines that were measured in each of the past five years.
   In 1998 these magazines had an average readership of 7.7 million adults and average coverage of 3.9 percent of the adult population.
   By 2002 average readership had increased to 8.1 million, while average coverage ticked up to 4 percent.
   That growth is not a function of circulation gains on the part of the titles measured, says Ted D'Amico, vice president of research for MRI.
   "The story's a little rosy because circulation, at least among the commonly measured magazines, actually went down a little," says D'Amico.
    That means the average number of readers per copy, or pass-alongs, has risen.
    The likely explanation for the rise is increased bulk distribution of magazines to high-traffic venues such as airport terminals, hotels and doctors' waiting rooms, says circulation analyst Dan Capell.
    “Certainly over a five-year period there’s been a pretty heavy increase in that type of circulation, which generates higher reader-per-copy scores than standard circulation sources,” says Capell.
   According to MRI’s report, readership growth was fastest among women and people over 35.
   Average readership among women went from 4.3 million per magazine in 1998 to 4.5 million and 2002, while average coverage grew from 4.2 percent to 4.3 percent.
   Among men, average readership increased from 3.4 million in 1998 to 3.6 million in 2002, with average coverage staying constant at 3.7 percent.
   Average readership among adults 35 and over went from 4.9 million in 1998 to 5.4 million this year, although average coverage stood still at 3.8 percent.
    Conversely, thanks to a slight decline in the 18-34 population, average readership, at 2.8 million, was unchanged from 1998 to 2002, but average coverage blipped up from 4.2 percent to 4.3 percent.
“The truth of the matter is magazines are holding their own,” says D’Amico. “It’s steady across the board. It seems to be universal.”

Five Report Trends Based on 171 Common Titles (average readership in millions)
Groups	Spring 1998	Spring 2002
Adults
Average Readership (MM)	7.7	8.1
Readership Index	100	105
Average Coverage* (%)	3.9	4.0
Coverage Index	100	101
Men
Average Readership (MM)	3.4	3.6
Readership Index	100	104
Average Coverage* (%)	3.7	3.7
Coverage Index	100	100
Women
Average Readership (MM)	4.3	4.5
Readership Index	100	106
Average Coverage* (%)	4.2	4.3
Coverage Index	100	102
Adults 18-34
Average Readership (MM)	2.8	2.8
Readership Index	100	100
Average Coverage* (%)	4.2	4.3
Coverage Index	100	102
*Readership relative to population growth Source: MRI

-Jeff Bercovici is a staff writer for Media Life

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