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Sunday Times readership on the rise as more young people turn to news

Headshot of Rourke Walsh
Rourke WalshThe West Australian
Readership of The Sunday Times has risen by an impressive 13 per cent — or 45,000 people — in the past year.
Camera IconReadership of The Sunday Times has risen by an impressive 13 per cent — or 45,000 people — in the past year. Credit: Supplied

Readership of The Sunday Times has risen by an impressive 13 per cent — or 45,000 people — in the past year.

And the biggest increases have been in the crucial younger demographics, with the number of readers aged 14-29 increasing 33 per cent.

The latest Roy Morgan figures reveal nearly one in five West Australians reads the newspaper every Sunday. In comparison, just 8 per cent of Victorians read The Age newspaper on a Sunday.

The same survey showed how West Australian Newspapers had retained its dominant position as the fastest-growing news brand in the country, with its all-important cross platform audience rising a staggering 25.1 per cent to 4.4 million readers in the 12 months to September.

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7West Media Upfront function at Crown. Pictured -  Jenna Clarke and Anthony De Ceglie
Camera IconJenna Clarke and editor-in-chief Anthony De Ceglie. Credit: Daniel Wilkins/The West Australian

West Australian Newspapers editor in chief Anthony De Ceglie said The Sunday Times had been continually reinventing itself to stay relevant to readers, with the addition of high-profile columnists such as TV gardener Charlie Albone, and esteemed journalists Ben Harvey and Jenna Clarke, making a big difference to retail sales.

“Harvey’s new online TV show for thewest.com.au called ‘Up Late’ has become a huge hit across WA,” De Ceglie said.

“One recent episode notched up nearly 450,000 views. His Sunday column complements the week-night show perfectly.

“And, of course, everything Jenna writes is must-read.”

De Ceglie said part of the readership rise had been a focus on more feature stories that span several pages.

“In a world where information overload can be really stressful and social media is blurring the lines between fact and fiction, we’ve had a great response to our longer features that take the time to really investigate an issue and explain it to our readers in a mature and in-depth fashion,” he said.

The Sunday Times’ glossy weekend magazine, STM, has also recently undergone a massive overhaul and is now much bigger.

Under new editor Rhianna Mitchell it now includes easy-to-read TV listings and a refocus on local stories. While there are new columnists in the magazine, long-time favourites, such as Nova’s Nat Locke and foodie Maggie Beer, will continue to be front-and-centre.

“Today’s edition is an excellent example of what the new STM is all about - from a provocative interview with Wongutha-Yamatji actor Meyne Wyatt to the origins of Amelia Park winery in Margaret River. No Sunday would be complete without reading it.”

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