The New Zealand Herald's print readership has risen yet again – and daily and weekly brand audience numbers are now at record levels, according to the new Nielsen data.
The Herald's daily readership has reached 477,000 people in the year to March 31 - an increase of 18,000 per day on the previous year and an increase of 24,000 per day on the previous quarter.
Nielsen numbers reveal the daily brand audience for NZ Herald has reached a record 1.098 million and the weekly brand audience a record 1.718 million people.
The Herald, with regional NZME titles such as the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times, launched premium digital subscriptions on April 30 and announced it had hit its annual target of 10,000 digital subscribers in the first six weeks.
NZME managing editor Shayne Currie said: "Our journalism is resonating."
"The Herald has had what I can only describe as phenomenal growth in our readership as more New Zealanders look to us as a source of news and information they can trust.
"The other standout is how much of our readership growth is coming from younger readers. Over the past three years, we've increased the number of 18-29-year-old NZ Herald readers by 57,000 to 174,0003. Proving digital natives appreciate a quality print product too."