U.S. newspapers’ average daily circulation fell 10.6 percent in the six months ended in September from the same six-month period last year, reflecting a growing problem for publishers and editors, notes Grumpy Editor.
The latest drop in figures released yesterday from the Audit Bureau of Circulations exceeded the 7.1 percent decline in the October 2008 to March 2009 span and the 4.6 percent drop in last year’s April to September frame.
While a chief factor for the drop-off is the Internet, with its abundance of free news, publishers and editors have been hacking away at their products, making them less appealing.
This has resulted in skimpier newspapers with less business and travel pages, fewer comics, compressed weather page, dumping of special sections, cutbacks in regional/local news and even area bureaus.
Added to this were periodic newsroon staff reductions in efforts to contain bottom lines.
To compound things, some newspapers hiked subscription rates.
Rising above USA Today as the top selling newspaper in the U.S. was The Wall Street Journal. The Journal showed the least circulation dip at 2,024,269, off a slim 0.61 percent in the latest six-month period.
No. 2 USA Today came in with 1,900,116, down 17.15 percent.
These were followed by The New York Times with 927,851, off 7.28 percent; Los Angeles Times, 657,467, down 11.05 percent and The Washington Post, 582,844, a 6.40 percent decline.
Biggest decliner in the latest period among the top 25 was the San Francisco Chronicle, with its circulation down 25.82 percent to 251,782.
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