Daily circulation at the nation's newspapers fell 4.6% in the six months ended Sept. 30, and Sunday circulation dropped 4.8%, new industry data out today show.The declines were slightly worse than the year-ago pace, when circulation fell 2.6% daily, and 4.6% Sundays, trade journal Editor & Publisher says.
The figures were compiled by the industry-supported Audit Bureau of Circulations. ABC made public the data for the top 25 daily and Sunday papers among the 571 U.S. newspapers it audits. Gannett papers I found on the lists:
- USA Today: 2.29 million daily, up 0.01%; no Sunday edition
- The Arizona Republic: 361,333 daily, down 5.5%; 463,036 Sunday, down 3.7%
- The Detroit Free Press: 298,243 daily, down 6.8%; 605,369 Sunday, down 3.7%
- The Indianapolis Star: 244,796 daily, down 3.3%; 321,760 Sunday, down 4.6%
These are all the numbers I've been able to find for Gannett. Got the complete report? Let me know! Please post your replies in the comments section, below. To e-mail confidentially, write gannettblog[at]gmail[dot-com]; see Tipsters Anonymous Policy in the green sidebar, upper right.
[Image: today's Indianapolis Star, Newseum]
I wonder how many copies of USAT, are being read in EMPTY, hotel's room. If only the business's paying for the advertising knew?
ReplyDeleteSome idiot was on this blog saying it was public information and so easy to get the ABC numbers and that Gannet makes them available ???
ReplyDeleteThe USPS-required "Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation," which discloses paid and non-paid circulation, is considered public information. That statement is required by U.S. Code to be published in the newspaper. In theory, one can file a FOIA request with the post office where the newspaper is published to review Statements of Ownership on file.
ReplyDeleteABC figures are difficult to get by ordinary members of the public because ABC charges ad agencies and newspapers for access to this data. Why give it away for free?
As many ad directors love to play numbers games, you can probably guess why the latest ABC publisher statement or audit report is not available to local advertisers and does not appear on a newspaper's website.
You are not alone at Gannett. Look what's happening at Tribune Co.'s Los Angeles Times. Click here for link.
ReplyDelete@rmichem: As usual, a shockingly profound comment.
ReplyDeleteReally, do you have any knowledge of the industry whatsoever?
rmichem certainly doesn't work in editorial.......or (slapping myself across the face), does he/she?
ReplyDeleteYou can get a good idea of any audited newspaper circulation by going to accessabc.com and clicking on "Free reports". You will not see details but you can get the summary net paid circ numbers, so it is easy for the public to see the numbers.
ReplyDeleteHow did NYTimes and WSJ do? USAT numbers looked pretty stable.
ReplyDeleteAnyone have the numbers for the Asbury Park Press
ReplyDeleteAsbury Park Press, Neptune
ReplyDelete179,294 Sunday {190,862 audited 9/30/07; 198,803 audited 9/26/06; 228,844 in 2002; 227,203 in 1996)
133,241 M-F Avg (144,072 audited 9/30/07; 148,989 audited 9/26/06; 168,198 in 2002 as M-Sat Avg; 156,544 in 1996 as M-Sat Avg)
130,853 Wednesday (143,233 audited 9/30/07; 147,259 audited 9/26/06)
Figures include Ocean County Observer from 5/01 to 11/07.
OCO was 9,467 in 2000 (16,952 in 1996) Daily M-F; 9,113 in 2000 (14,970 in 1996) Sunday. Rest in Peace.
As a (former) Indy Star reader, I've gotta say: That front page perfectly exemplifies the Star's problems, at least to me.
ReplyDeleteLook at what's there:
The sheriff story. That one's pretty good! Stuff I didn't know about, but am not surprised. Unearthing some bodies... too bad they didn't do more stories like that during the Colts/stadium negotiations, or during the previous mayoral administration, or when Julia Carson was dying- and her posse was doing its best to conceal it from her constituency.
McCain/Obama "endgame." Standard thumbsucker. Yeah, it's Monday, but does this really belong above the fold on page 1?
Largest item: Whine about our unhealthy eating habits, call for restaurants to be required to post nutrition data. Yeah, right. The country's going into a depression, and the Star wants to make things harder for small business. And am I ready to be nagged at, first thing in the morning?
That last is important: Under the Gannett regime, the Star has picked up an "attitude," sort of a cross between a spinster schoolmarm, Mrs. Grundy, and my mother-in-law (just kidding, mom!). "Don't do that, you might put your eye out! We know better than you. You're stupid, or you'd agree. And if you're doing something we don't like, we're going to WHINE about it until you change your evil ways."
Well, I don't buy a newspaper for the admonishment and whining. Which is one major reason that nowadays I reach past the Star every morning to get my copy of the Wall Street Journal.