“The dialogue at the moment is about more frequent data and how a newspaper or magazine performs as a brand,” said Gates, ABC's director of newspapers in Ireland and Britain, the Post reported.

Gates said he believes that as media buyers learn more about the impact of electronic media verses print media, they will begin demanding user figures for electronic. Ireland's first audit of online newspaper readers is expected early in 2008. At the same time, some newspaper and magazine sites in Britain already report daily user numbers.

The number of subscribers to ABC Electronic in Ireland has doubled over the past three years, and one Irish newspaper will soon be the first in the nation to begin publishing audited figures for online readers. Many speculate that it will be The Irish Times, the Post reported.

‘‘Irish publications already collect monthly circulation figures but the question is do buyers, media and the publishers themselves want these released more often? This discussion is an ongoing one but, with the advent of digital media and more frequent data being published in the U.S. and Britain, the demand for this seems to be growing,” Gates said. “Of course we need to balance that with what amount of data is manageable and relevant.”