Herald Sun reinforces status as state’s top news brand with new surge in readership

The Herald Sun has capped a remarkable year of agenda-setting journalism, with a surge in readership and record digital subscriptions.

The Herald Sun is a longtime supporter of the Good Friday Appeal Picture: David Caird

The Herald Sun has capped a remarkable year of agenda-setting journalism, with a surge in readership across all days of the week, combined with the biggest online audience growth among Australia’s top 10 websites and record digital subscriptions.

During the COVID pandemic, the Herald Sun reinforced its position as the state’s most influential media brand, with Victorians increasingly turning to the powerful and trusted journalism produced by our world-class team of news breakers and experts.

New readership figures ­reveal the Herald Sun is the most-read newspaper in Australia every day of the week, and the total monthly Victorian print and digital audience of the Herald Sun is the biggest in the state, at 2.960 million.

Over the past 12 months to December, the Saturday Herald Sun’s audience rose 5.5 per cent to 705,000, the Sunday Herald Sun jumped 9.1 per cent to 705,000 readers, and the weekday Herald Sun lifted 0.8 per cent to 890,000.

By contrast, the Saturday Age’s audience dived 17.3 per cent to 331,000, the Sunday Age crashed 10.6 per cent to 237,000 readers, and the weekday Age dropped 1.2 per cent to 404,000.

The official figures from emma — Enhanced Media Metrics Australia — show the total monthly print and digital audience of the Herald Sun, Sunday Herald Sun and heraldsun.com.au increased by 8.4 per cent — or 338,000 readers — in the 12 months to December.

Digital subscriptions of the Herald Sun are accelerating to new highs, while readership of heraldsun.com.au leapt by 8 per cent in December, the best result of any of the top 10 news websites in Australia.

The audience gains are even more impressive given heraldsun.com.au is almost entirely a subscriber-only website, while Nine Entertainment’s mastheads such as The Age give away much of their journalism for free.

The audience gains have been driven by major exclusives, essential campaigns supporting our community and expert analysis.

Herald Sun exclusive on Melbourne’s snap lockdown.

The Herald Sun backing the Let Us Speak campaign.

The Herald Sun has led the coverage of the state’s COVID second wave and ­recovery over the last year, and in recent weeks continued to break all the major exclusives, revealing Victoria would be going into lockdown again – and when the restrictions would be lifted

This followed on from National political editor Tom Minear winning the News Award for Scoop of the Year for detailing the Premier’s top-secret recovery road map, which revealed Melbourne’s harsh lockdown would be extended.

The Herald Sun’s sport coverage is unrivalled with our talented team breaking all the big stories, such as the bombshell Collingwood racism report.

The Herald Sun proudly fights on behalf of our community and our vital campaigning work has again been recognised, with the journalists behind the Let Us Speak fight winning a Walkley Award for overturning laws to allow victims of sexual assault to tell their stories.

This year, we also celebrate the 90th year of the Good Friday Appeal, which has raised more than $381 million for the Royal Children’s Hospital.

Herald Sun editor Sam Weir said: “We are deeply grateful that Victorians have turned to the Herald Sun and our trusted and respected journalism during such a difficult year.

“The Herald Sun is at the heartbeat of Melbourne and Victoria, and we’re investing in our newsroom, with multiple new regional sites and more journalists, to ensure our coverage remains the very best.

“Whether it’s investigations uncovering the truth on key issues and holding governments to account, or celebrating all that’s great about our city and state, our team is committed to working for you.”