News-Record.com

From Pegasus News -- co-founder Mike Orren is from Greensboro -- a Scarborough and a New York Times researcher have looked at the effect free papers have on circulation of daily newspapers. The answer: Not much.

"Free dailies do not cannibalize paid readership. To the contrary, readers read more."

The MediaDaily News story says it clearly: The main effect has been that heavy newspaper readers simply read more, picking up the freebies in addition to their regular paid dailies.

And:

While the free papers are attracting a younger audience, the research compiled by Scarborough and the New York Times concludes "it is not a young audience."

Our research here shows the same result. Duplication in readership -- those who read the News & Record who also pick up the Rhino -- is between 80 and 90 percent. The Rhino's anecdotal weekly surveys show the same thing; look at the number of people who call the Beep to talk about what they've read in the N&R. (By the way, we haven't tried to serve 11 counties since the Rhino was simply a downtown bar Springsteen dropped into.)

Free papers isn't the circulation answer, although it may be a profitable advertising medium. People pay for what they value. (Online news sites? Now that's a different question.)