READ ALL ABOUT IT! –COLLEGE PUBLISHER Releases College Newspaper Readership Survey

Second Annual Survey Reveals Trends and Preferences in Readership, Online Utilities and Advertising

Boston, MA – July 11, 2006 – College Publisher, a content management software used by a  network of over 450 college newspaper websites, has issued its second annual College Newspaper Readership Survey. More than 7,500 college undergraduates, graduate students and recent alumni were asked about their readership preferences, trends in Internet usage and effectiveness of online advertisements. The survey provides key statistics and trend indicators for newspaper executives and marketers looking to effectively capture this demographic.  College Publisher is operated by Y2M: Youth Media & Marketing Networks, a strategic marketing services company that connects major brands with the college and recent graduate market

Newspaper (Online and Print) Readership Statistics – "Stay Current"

Despite the perception that undergraduate students do not read newspapers, this year’s survey suggests that they do read those newspapers targeted to their interests.

• 77 percent of the survey’s undergraduate respondents reported reading the print edition of the campus newspaper at least once each month.
• A staggering 90 percent of readers of print college newspapers reported doing so for local and campus news, underscoring the value that readers place on the local content provided by their college newspaper.
• Built-in audiences for online college newspapers continue to grow, as alumni communities add new members to their ranks upon graduation every year, while universities welcome a new crop of freshmen readers each fall.
• Undergraduates seem to prefer reading online versions of national news sources, with 49 percent of undergraduates report visiting CNN.com at least once per month and 35 percent visit the New York Times Online (NYT.com) once per month, trending significanttly higher than reading national newspapers in print.

Advertising Statistics – "Keep it Simple"

According to the survey, readers prefer a simpler, cleaner and more attractive advertisement when browsing online.

• 52 percent of respondents are more likely to pay attention to a text-based advertisement.
• 45 percent of readers are attracted to an advertisement because "the underlying service is appealing."
• 32 percent of respondents are likely to respond to an advertisement if its creative is "simple"
• 46 percent of respondents would be more interested in online advertising if it targeted their specific interests, bolstering the notion that marketers should develop creative specific to the 18-24 year-old demographic.

Internet Statistics – "Online Revolution"

Readers of online college newspapers have proven they are sophisticated consumers of web-based media and are helping to drive the emergence of converged media. In addition to content, various points of interaction have a large impact on a newspaper website’s ability to attract readers.

• 44% of survey respondents want video/vodcasts and editor blogs made available through their college newspaper’s website.
• With 94 percent, Google is clearly the most used search engine. Yahoo! ranked a distant second with 39 percent.  Job search tools remain in high demand for this demographic, with respondents citing Monster.com as the most frequently visited service site. CareerBuilder.com and HotJobs.com also ranked highly on the list.
• Instant messaging, auction/classifieds and social networking sites topped the list of most frequently used interactive features.

"For traditional media, an important takeaway is that college newspaper readership is very strong among college students," said Dina Pradel, vice president and general manager of Y2M. "The challenge for traditional media, however, is to understand why students are such avid readers of their college newspapers and carry some of those lessons to their own publications.  For marketers, these results represent good news for those who have had difficulty in engaging the college market. There are young people with a high disposition toward reading news and turning to technology for a majority of their daily needs, making online and print campus media an excellent option for marketers in most verticals."

About College Publisher, Inc.

College Publisher (www.collegepublisher.com) is the leading provider of publishing and marketing services to the collegiate publishing market. Located in Boston, Mass., the technology and marketing services company delivers professional online publishing tools and educational services that enable student publications to create successful online properties. The College Publisher Network is the nation’s largest interactive college media network, comprising over 450 campus publications that serve institutions such as Brown University, the University of Illinois, the University of Southern California, and Duke University, with a combined enrollment of nearly five million students and a subscriber base of 2.1 million. The College Publisher Network is owned and represented exclusively by Y2M: Youth Media and Marketing Networks.  

About Y2M: Youth Media & Marketing Networks

Y2M is a media and marketing company focused exclusively on the college market. From its headquarters in Boston, Mass., the company reaches college students and recent graduates where they live, study, work and play, through media properties including official campus newspapers, underground campus communities and scholarship search engines, as well as on-campus marketing efforts. Leveraging its knowledge of college-educated consumers, Y2M helps advertisers, including Ford Motor Company, Samsung Electronics NA, Amazon, Apple and Goldman Sachs effectively connect with students and graduates online, in print and on campus. For more information, please call 617-399-8000 or visit www.y2m.com.