The Newspaper Society is recognising the rapid growth of cross-media regional publishing by developing a reader measurement system which covers digital as well as print audiences.

The Newspaper Society is recognising the rapid growth of cross-media regional publishing by developing a reader measurement system which covers digital as well as print audiences.

As well as 1300 newspaper titles, the sector offers more than 800 websites, 600 niche magazines, 28 radio stations and two television stations.

The aim is to extend the JICREG regional press database to encompass internet audiences, and provide advertisers with a system for analysing the combined net reach of a newspaper and its website within a circulation area. Advertisers will be involved at each stage of the project.

Les Middleton, associate director at MediaCom Accent and a director of industry body JICREG which is a partner in the project along with circulation group ABC, said: "With clients becoming more media savvy, it is essential we, the agencies, have sound arguments to back up our decisions for local media usage."

The Newspaper Society has commissioned Telmar to develop a methodology for integrating internet audience data with print readership data. This is planned to be incorporated into the JICREG readership database to provide combined audience analysis.

Conor MacLoughlin, head of regional media at Carat, said: "Regional media owners need to ensure accountability in order to secure their share of advertising budgets."

Lynne Anderson, communications director at the Newspaper Society, said: "The regional press is harnessing a combination of print and internet to layer its markets, extend audience reach and deliver greater response."

The regional press is a £3bn advertising medium - the largest print medium in the UK and second only to TV.