Â鶹ӰԺ

Local news brands have a long and proud history of being the most trusted source for local news and information in communities across the UK. We take this responsibility to you, our readers and commercial partners, very seriously. We campaign on your behalf on the issues that matter and fight for the causes you believe in. We report on the goings on of the local council, in the courts, and bring you the news that affects your daily lives. But the way news and information is distributed has changed enormously in the last 10 years.

The rapid rise of the internet and smartphones has meant that you are now just as likely to get local news from your mobile as you are from a printed newspaper. This has presented both challenges and opportunities for local news brands. Opportunities because we are now able to reach more people than ever before through the new digital platforms. And challenges because the rise of the internet has profoundly changed the way in which the business of local journalism is funded. Part of the solution has been to pinpoint precisely how people are accessing local news and information in the digital age. That way, we can demonstrate the huge scale of the audiences now reading our journalism.

That’s why the industry came together to launch JICREG True Local, the gold standard audience currency. This initiative has revealed some astonishing facts about the enormous scale of local media in 2019. In print and digital, we reach 40.6 million a month, with mobile providing a 94 per cent audience uplift. And we have clear evidence that younger people are consuming local news through digital platforms. Ten million young adults (aged 15-34) read local media on mobile every month, according to the new figures. JICREG True Local enables advertisers to pinpoint the reach of local news brands in print, desktop, and mobile in particular geographies, right down to the postcode level. That’s invaluable information if you’re planning an advertising campaign, and want to make sure your message reaches the right people.

Our commitment to providing robust and transparent information about our audiences is in stark contrast to the social networks. The tech platforms may talk a good game but they have been widely criticised for shortcomings with their audience data and problems with brand safety. Highly trusted local media in print and digital offers a completely different way to connect with local audiences. Because we are part of the communities we serve, people engage with our content and act upon the advertising next to it. We support the launch of JICREG True Local because we understand the importance of trust, accountability and transparency. That’s why we invested in a market leading, independent, gold standard audience currency for local media. To find out what we can do for you or your business, contact your local news brand today.

————– Ends ————

• For more information please contact Paul Sinker on 0203 848 9625 or paul@newsmediauk.org
• For logos, graphics and filler ads for the JICREG True Local launch please click here.
• JICREG data is based on a combination of PAMCo print data, Comscore online audience data,and readership statistical modelling by RSMB. The NMA/Local Media Works databaseprovides the source of news brand data used by JICREG and is updated twice a year.
• For more information visit www.jicregonline.co.uk and follow @JICREG #jicregtruelocal on