Israel Hayom continues to be the most widely read newspaper in the country, maintaining a strong lead over rival daily Yedioth Ahronoth, a new survey published Thursday showed.
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Kantar Media's Target Group Index survey, which reviewed annual media consumption across 2020, found that Israel Hayom had an average daily readership of 23.7% of the general population, compared to Yedioth Ahronoth's 21.5%, giving the former a clear statistical lead.
Reviewing readership for newspapers' week editions, TGI gave Yedioth Ahronoth the lead with 27.1% of the readership – a drop from 2019's 30.7% weekend readership.
Israel Hayom's weekend readership also dipped, from 31% in 2019 to 24.8% in 2020.
In semi-annual terms for weekday readership, Israel Hayom enjoyed a lead with 22.3% - down from 25.1% in the first half of 2020, while Yedioth Ahronoth recorded a decrease in exposure from 22.6% in H1-2020 to 20.4% in H2.
An analysis of weekend edition readership trends in the second half of 2020 showed both papers experienced a slump: Yedioth Ahronoth had a weekend readership of 25.2% (down from 28.9% in H1-2020) and Israel Hayom's exposure slipped from 26.6% to 23.1%.
The gap between the two newspapers – weekday and weekend – is not statistically significant in semi-annual terms.
An analysis of trends in newspaper readership between 2017 and 2020 shows that the coronavirus pandemic had a clear impact on print-media consumption, showing an overall decrease compared to previous years.
The exposure rates were pegged at 37.8% for weekday newspapers and 44.9% for weekend editions, compered compared to 2019 when the figures stood at 46.5% on weekdays and 52% on weekends.
The slight improvement in readership observed in 2019 is most likely linked to the multiple election campaigns last year, which influenced public interest in news and politics and as a result influenced media consumption.
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