The West Australian, The Sunday Times readership surges with market-leading audience increase in past quarter

Readership of The West Australian and The Sunday Times is surging, with each masthead recording a remarkable, market-leading increase in audience over the past quarter. The West Australian’s weekday readership grew by 10.5 per cent in the June quarter, while the Saturday edition increased its audience by 11.5 per cent. Over the same period, The Sunday Times grew a stunning 26.2 per cent. The official Roy Morgan figures also reveal audience growth for West Australian Newspapers measured across combined print and digital products has grown faster than any other major news outlet in Australia over the past year. Cross-platform readership, combining print and digital audiences over a four-week period, raced past 3.91 million for West Australian Newspapers, an incredible 4.7 per cent rise, not matched by any other major metropolitan daily. While other big city newspapers lost audiences over the same period, an additional 175,000 people on average for the month read a West Australian Newspapers product, either in print or online, compared to the same time last year. By comparison, the Sydney Morning Herald lost 358,000, the Age dropped 458,000 and the Herald Sun 246,000. Of the national papers, The Australian dropped 2.2 per cent, but the Australian Financial Review, which no longer sells a newspaper in WA, increased its readership to 3.5 million. Two-thirds of West Australians read either a print or online version of West Australian Newspapers’ main brands each month, a reach unmatched by any other news outlet in the nation. The official market data shows that on average each day 340,000 people read The West Australian, 441,000 read The West Australian on Saturday and 362,000 read The Sunday Times. Over the past 12 months, the audience for thewest.com.au jumped an astonishing 15.6 per cent, while perthnow.com.au also grew during the same period by 4.8 per cent. West Australian Newspapers editor-in-chief Christopher Dore said the results show consumers were still desperate to consume quality journalism. “While we are all being bombarded with misinformation and fed endless streams of dross, The West has remained relevant and reliable,” Dore said. “Our brands are at the forefront of every story in West Australia. That is undeniable. “Readers understand and value the journalism we produce, they trust our people and know where to turn to understand what’s happening in our state, and what it means for their businesses and their families.” The results come just weeks after the latest figures, published by industry body IPSOS, showed West Australian Newspapers’ new national digital newspaper, The Nightly, is the fastest-growing site in the country. After just five months in the market, The Nightly has quickly grown to a massive monthly audience of 2.3 million.