New national newspapers do not come along very often, so when they do, their launch is heralded with much anticipation. Never has this been more in evidence than for The Sun on Sunday, born as it was with a rich yet complex heritage. But as the dust settles, what were the reactions to the UK’s new arrival, and does it have a future? Research by Kantar Media reveals the following…
• 18% of everyone who has read a Sunday newspaper in the last 12 months read the first edition of the Sun on Sunday.
• 68% of those reading the new edition rated it as good.
• Overall, 23% of Sunday newspaper readers said that Britain’s newest newspaper would become their main paper – increasing to 44% among former News of the World readers (although 38% of these former NoW readers remain undecided).
• 51% of Sunday newspaper readers claimed that The Sun on Sunday will not become their main Sunday newspaper.
• 21% of all those who read a Sunday newspaper agree they do not understand why the News of the World was closed, whilst 36% believe The Sun on Sunday launch has come around too soon.
• 54% of readers of a Sunday newspaper agree the phone hacking scandal has made them more negative towards The Sun.
• Overall, 39% of Sunday newspaper readers believe the launch of a new newspaper is a good thing, regardless of who owns it. This rises to 57% among former News of the World readers.
Euan Mackay, Director at Kantar Media Custom, comments: “There is no doubt that discussion and speculation about the Sun on Sunday will continue for months to come. However, what seems clear from this research is that a significant proportion of the UK population welcomes a new Sunday paper, seeing it as positive, regardless of who owns it. And for an industry that many are keen to write off, this can only be a good thing.”
Research methodology
A representative sample of 1,028 adults took it is owned part in an online survey conducted by Kantar Media between February 28th and March 1st 2012. A reader was defined as those who have read a Sunday newspaper for at least two minutes in the last four weeks. The survey data were weighted to match the profile of GB Sunday newspaper readers (Almost Always or Quite Often) as determined by NRS.
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