Local media is reaching bigger audiences than ever across its printed newspapers, websites and broadcast platforms, delivering trusted local news and information to 40 million print readers a week and 37 million web users a month. Locally Connected is the UK's first integrated print and online audience currency. It is the result of collaboration between local media publishers and agencies, the NS, JICREG and ABCe, to achieve a unique cross-media planning tool. It gives agencies the hard data they need to target local communities in print and online.

To achieve a unique cross-media planning tool and provide agencies with the hard data they need to target local communities in print and online.

The tool has been developed through a collaborative project between the regional publishers' trade body, the Newspaper Society, with JICREG, the Joint Industry Committee for Regional Press Research, and the ABC. Locally Connected provides advertisers with a "unique cross-media planning system" and will allow them to effectively target local communities across the UK in print as well as online.

Seven of the largest local media groups, representing 70% of the industry, have signed up; including: The Trinity Mirror, Northcliffe Media, Johnston Press, Newsquest, Guardian Media Group, Midland News Association and Iliffe News & Media.

Lynne Robinson, Research Director of the IPA "Over the past 20 years JICREG has done a sterling job in providing an audience measurement for regional press which has been used extensively as a trading currency throughout the industry. It is fantastic to see that this database can now be extended to include the regional press digital assets as well, demonstrating their unique properties and how they interact and extend the regional press audience."