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Sheila Owens
NAA VP of Strategic Communications
(571) 366-1089
Sheila.Owens@naa.org

November 03, 2003

Vienna, Va. – Registered voters believe newspapers are the most credible medium for political advertisements in the U.S., according to a new poll sponsored by the Newspaper Association of America.

The bipartisan nationwide telephone poll of 1,200 registered voters was conducted jointly Aug. 6-10 by the Cromer Group, a Democratic polling firm in Washington, and Moore Information, a Republican firm based in Portland, Ore.

When asked to rank each medium using a 10-point believability scale, 32 percent of voters said political ads in newspapers were more believable than those found in brochures and mailings (27 percent), on network TV (26 percent), on cable TV (25 percent) and on the radio (22 percent).

In addition, the survey shows that more than half (57 percent) of voters say they experience some level of indecision in the final week or days before an election. Of those who say they experience indecision, three out of four say they are regular newspaper readers.

“Everyone knows that newspapers are the most reliable medium for penetrating, in-depth coverage of the candidates and the issues. It is also well known that people who actually go to the polls and vote are heavy newspaper readers.  By reaching a majority of undecided voters as well, newspapers provide a unique opportunity for political planners to influence voters’ decisions through political ads that work,” said John F. Sturm, NAA president and CEO.

Other findings:

• Of voters who cast ballots in the 2000 and 2002 elections, one out of two say they read a newspaper every day and 70 percent say they read a newspaper at least several times per week.
• Half of the voters surveyed (49 percent) say they go to their daily newspaper to specifically look for ads.
• Among adults who voted in the 2002 mid-term elections, 24 percent said newspaper ads were the most helpful in making up their mind on how to vote in their state and local election, second only to television ads (32 percent). Brochures and mailers ranked third (13 percent), followed by radio ads (6 percent), Internet (4 percent), telephone calls (1 percent) and billboards/yard signs (1 percent).
   

The survey data is highlighted in a new NAA publication that features 50 of the best contemporary newspaper political ads used in campaigns across the country. Last spring, NAA invited political consultants and interest groups to submit newspaper ads on behalf of candidates or on behalf of an issue. Hundreds of ads were submitted, and a panel of experts rated each ad on creativity and effectiveness. The winning ads cover all levels of candidates, and tackle issues ranging from energy and waste management to healthcare and telecommunications.

“Newspaper ads provide the ultimate forum to communicate effectively candidates’ platforms on key issues central to campaigns,” said John E. Kimball, NAA senior vice president and chief marketing officer. “Not only were we overwhelmed by the response and the number of ads submitted to this competition, but we also were impressed with the level of creativity used in producing the ads. Savvy political planners have a clear understanding of the benefits and effectiveness newspapers bring to the media mix.”

NAA is a nonprofit organization representing the $55 billion newspaper industry and more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. Most NAA members are daily newspapers, accounting for 87 percent of the U.S. daily circulation. Headquartered in Tysons Corner (Vienna, Va.), the Association focuses on six key strategic priorities that affect the newspaper industry collectively: marketing, public policy, diversity, industry development, newspaper operations and readership. Information about NAA and the industry may also be found at the Association’s World Wide Web site on the Internet (www.naa.org).

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