Attempting to “win” an argument on the Internet can be a lot like debating someone wearing headphones. Some people hear only the music in their own cranium. That said, and since the question as to “who” reads the Flyer has been raised by a reader, perhaps it might be useful to provide some actual statistics.
The Media Audit is a company that provides demographic data on all media in major markets. Media subscribe to the service so that their advertising departments can use the information to convince potential advertisers of the merits of buying space in their publication. The reports are universally accepted and updated often. They are also quite detailed as to income, ethnicity, home-ownership, etc.
For example, here are some stats comparing the weekday Commercial Appeal to the Flyer. The numbers are the most recent available, from Jan-Feb 2011.
Commercial Appeal
Median Age: 51
Median Income: $49,720
Home Owners: 74 percent
Average Home Value: $173,298
White Readership: 47.7 percent
Black Readership: 43.6 percent
College Degree: 19.9 percent
Memphis Flyer
Median Age: 46
Median Income: $57,929
Home Owners: 61 percent
Average Home Value: $164,028
White Readership: 48.8 percent
Black Readership: 41.3 percent
College Degree: 30.1 percent
Some food for conversation. Or, more likely, a platform for more Internet “discussion” between people wearing headphones.
