Abstract:

Readership surveys in Italy refer only to the periodical press. No information is available as regards the daily press and technical publications . So far as concerns daily newspapers the reasons for this are to be found in the following causes: a) in the circulation structure of the majority of Italian dailies, which usually concentrate on regional areas of limited extent (very few Italian newspapers have a national circulation) b) the nature and content of the Italian daily newspaper, which is of a fairly high qualitative level requiring readership evaluation in terms outside the scope of existing socio-demographic statistical analysis. The second aspect, which raises serious problems for the daily press, also applies to the periodical press . The latter, as we shall see, is fully discussed below. The absence of a readership survey for technical publications is, however, to be sought in the low circulation of the journals concerned. For such an enquiry a sample based on a very large number of interviews would he required. In these factors lies the explanation why the only sponsored readership survey available in Italy is that of the periodical press.