Quick Study: Community Papers Preferred Source of Local News; Marcom Mergers & Acquisitions to Increase in 2012

â–¶ Support Your Local Reporters: Readers in areas served by community newspapers continue to prefer them as their source of local news and advertising, according to research from the National Newspaper Association. People prefer the printed copy to the online version, with 48% saying they never read the local news online. Other findings include:

• 74% of people in communities served by a newspaper with circulations under 15,000 read a local newspaper each week.

• Readers are seven times more likely to get their news from their community newspaper than from the Internet.

• They prefer to receive advertising through the newspaper (51%) instead of on the Internet (11%).

Source: National Newspaper Association

â–¶ More PR Agency Consolidation? Three out of four executives at traditional media, digital media and marketing communications services companies say that mergers and acquisitions will be up in 2012, finds AdMedia Partners. In fact, 59% expect to seek an acquisition—up from 40% from 2011. Other findings include:

• 48% will contemplating the sale of their company in 2012—up from 36% last year.

• Most popular expansion areas were analytics, social media and mobile. PRN

Source: AdMedia Partners