The latest data from Roy Morgan has put Total News Publishing at an average monthly audience of 21.8 million Australians aged 14+ monthly, and 18.4 million weekly.

The figures, based on monthly readership averaged over the 12 months to September 2024, represent a marginal uplift since the last quarterly update shared by industry body ThinkNewsBrands, which had monthly news audiences at 21.7 million.

According to Roy Morgan, nine in ten news consumers access up to five different news brands each month and while General News is most read (93% of population), there is high readership elsewhere too. 63% of readers engage with at least three categories in any given month and 51% explore four or more.

Per ThinkNewsBrands, news readers are 1.4 times more likely to be early adopters in categories like sporting equipment, apparel, appliances, weight management and accommodation. Meanwhile, high-end auto intenders and travel enthusiasts, in particular, place more trust in news publishing brands than any other source.

Australians shopping for their next premium car are 1.3 times more likely to rely on news publishing to guide their purchase decision.

ThinkNewsBrands CEO, Vanessa Lyons, said: "This quarter’s readership update confirms that Total News Publishing is a reliable way for advertisers to reach virtually any audience – almost everyone is reading it." She further added, "Audiences aren’t just browsing or scrolling; they’re deeply engaged with multiple news brands and categories, giving advertisers direct access to their interests and passions." Lyons also highlighted the importance of ROI, stating, "With ROI more critical than ever, news publishing delivers high-value, ready-to-buy audiences, including early adopters crucial for campaign success."

Total News Publishing is defined as Australians aged 14+ reading news in print and/or news in digital formats, including websites, apps as well as Apple and Google News. Total News Publishing audience measurement is independently audited by Milton Data.

In response to the latest data, Nine Publishing has welcomed strong results for it's mastheads, The Sydney Morning Herald The Age, and The Australian Financial Review, which were respectively the first and second most-read cross-platform mastheads, and the most-read premium business title.

"The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age are the two leading mastheads in Australia because our editors and reporters work tirelessly on stories that directly affect the lives of our audience,” said Executive Editor Luke McIlveen.

"Last week's haul of eleven Walkley Awards recognised the commitment we have to exposing corruption and neglect, from the union movement to the spread of toxic 'forever chemicals' in the water supply.

"These are the biggest national stories of the year, but Herald and Age editors Bevan Shields and Patrick Elligett have built our growing subscription business by breaking news that affects their cities - from the housing crisis gripping Sydney and Melbourne to the failures of the justice system in NSW and Victoria."

AFR Editor-in-chief James Chessell said: “These results reflect the high quality and award-winning journalism in The Australian Financial Review. With our focus on growing our subscriber base, our digital strategy continues to gain strength as is evidenced by nearly 80% of our audience engaging with our sites.”