Average monthly unique audience figures for newspaper websites grew by more than 3.6 million in 2007, a record year for the industry and an increase of more than six per cent over 2006 numbers, reported the Newspaper Association of America (NAA).

Monthly unique visitors to newspaper websites averaged 62.8 million in last year’s fourth quarter, a record number in itself and the largest in any quarter since NAA began tracking online usage in January 2004.

According to the data, which is part of a new report by Nielsen Online for NAA that takes into account home and work Internet usage, unique visitors in the fourth quarter represented a nine per cent increase over the same period a year ago (57.6 million).

It’s proof newspapers are venturing outside their traditional means and Internet users are keenly receptive.