Pandemic Sees Millions Of Extra Users Accessing Local News Websites

Local media audiences have grown significantly during the coronavirus pandemic as people seek out trusted news and information during the crisis. 

Press Gazette reported that 2.2 million extra people visited local news websites in June this year, when compared to January, according to new Comscore figures.  

The total number of monthly unique visitors jumped from 39.4 million in January to 41.6 million in June. 

Reach gained 3.2 million unique users between January and June, seeing a growth of nine per cent across approximately 60 regional websites.

Reach chief audience officer David Higgerson said: “The Live network of sites continues to go from strength to strength.

“Since the pandemic readers across every region have turned to our trusted brands for Covid news, lockdown information and then more generally to the live network as the source of information for everything in their area.”

Recent figures from PAMCo show that readership of news media journalism has risen as the public seek out trusted news and information during the coronavirus crisis.