A Colorado Media Project survey of 2,000+ Coloradans has found there’s a market of about 2.4 million digitally-savvy residents who are interested in state, local, and neighborhood news, and who read more than headlines.
More than 1 million of these Coloradans are also willing to pay for local news — the first time this market has been quantified. The news is particularly important in an ever-changing media landscape where print publications are struggling, local audience attention is fragmented, and digital-native sources continue to emerge.
Detailed findings from the survey, conducted and analyzed by Research Now and the Boston Consulting Group in July 2018, also found that:
Members of this 1 million-person target market most often read news on a mobile device several times per day
(41%). They are 83% more likely than average Coloradans to consume a local digital news outlet.
Their top motivation for consuming news is to learn about things that impact their life (74%); they are less interested in abstract topics.
Local government and political news was highest on the list of content types these potential readers are seeking (47%), and were the topics they would be most willing to pay for (35%).
Older Coloradans are significantly more likely to pay for news than are readers in the 18-44 age range.
Of the 39% of Coloradans who pay for news, only 8% of those are paying for for a digital outlet – leaving much room for growth in this sector.
To see detailed results, see:
Interested in the full data set? Email info@coloradomediaproject.com.
See an in-depth analysis of two potential business models for commercially viable, statewide news platforms serving the public interest. (NOTE: These are presented for illustrative purposes, and are not actively being pursued by the Colorado Media Project. Iteration on these ideas is welcome!)