Posted on 11/07/2005 2:31:33 PM PST by new yorker 77
The Wall Street Journal circulation is down 1%, but they also have a pretty good paid online subscription.
They also have the best editorial page in the country.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002609552_webcirc07.html
Monday, November 7, 2005 - Page updated at 11:02 AM
Times, P-I both drop in circulation
By Bill Richards
Special to The Seattle Times
Circulation declines at both of Seattle's daily newspapers accelerated in the past six months, with the Post-Intelligencer showing the sharper daily drop — down 9 percent during the six-month period ended Sept. 30, compared with the similar period a year ago.
The Seattle Times' circulation for the period fell 7 percent and the papers' combined Sunday circulation was down 5 percent.
According to the figures released today by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, The Times' daily circulation for the period was 215,502, down from 231,051 a year ago.
The P-I's circulation in the period fell to 132,694 from 145,964.
The Sunday Times/P-I, which carries content mostly from The Times, had a circulation of 441,398, compared with 462,920 last year.The local circulation figures mirrored declines at many major papers around the U.S.
Hearst Corp., which owns the P-I, said circulation at its San Francisco Chronicle dropped 16.5 percent. Circulation losses were also reported by the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times, as well as by the Knight Ridder newspaper chain with 32 papers in cities such as Miami, Philadelphia and San Jose.
The nation's second-largest newspaper chain, Knight Ridder reported that overall circulation fell about 2 percent daily and 3.5 percent for Sunday editions. The company owns 49.5 percent of The Seattle Times Co.
Industry experts blame the national declines on several factors, including a shift by younger readers and advertisers to Internet-based news and cable-television news operations, and federal restrictions on telemarketing for new subscribers.
Both The Times and P-I have wrestled with additional problems. They operate under a joint operating agreement (JOA) in which The Times prints, distributes and markets both papers. The papers publish separately, but pool their revenue, with The Times getting 60 percent and the P-I 40 percent, after The Times is paid for its non-news operations.
Both papers have been locked in a bitter legal and public relations fight over the JOA since April 2003. The Times is seeking to end or amend the agreement, contending that the P-I has dragged down revenue because of circulation losses. Hearst sued in state court to block The Times and says its paper can't survive outside the agreement.
[snip]
I wouldn't even trust these numbers as "real".
I live in Allentown, PA.
I subscribe to the Morning Call newspaper for Saturday and Sunday.
They give me Thursday and Friday for free.
Sometimes, I get Monday for free also.
Somehow, I'd bet that those free ones count toward their circulation, even though I don't subscribe to them.
At least as of last May, the conservative Washington Times continued to increase its circulation.
http://washingtontimes.com/business/20050518-120247-7729r.htm
When I had to return to the left coast for a few months, I subscribed to the Times by mail. I was always a few days behind in my news, but almost none of the articles needed "barf alert" labels. I could sit down in a coffee shop, drink my coffee, and actually enjoy reading a paper. Very civilized.
I wonder if there will be a complimentary copy of the Left-A** Times on my doorstep in the morning, with a hit piece on Governor Schwarzenegger (as there was in the days leading up to the recall election)...IIRC, that "propaganda drop" contributed greatly to their decline.
These papers are not free. Hotel chains spend millions of dollars a year purchasing these papers. They are not free.
Those copies have to be reported separately, so the advertisers know how many copies are distributed that way.
I was asked to be on a consumer panel for the Boston Globe (hehe). I only lasted 2 months I guess because I kept asking "Why do you hate the President?" and "Don't you think you have too many articles about gays?"
At least they tell their advertiser's that they have certain # circulation...but give away ton's of their DemoSocialistMarxistLefistLiberal not fit for fishwrap papers.
IOW, non-paying customer's get added to their circulation numbers.
I've heard there is a lot of fudging the circulation numbers. IOW, fake subscription numbers do not translate into real readers.
Nicely done.
I usually buy the Atlanta Journal-Constitution for some humorous reading over lunch. Today, it was even more chock full of liberal drivel than usual. Every story was slanted, which is unusual. Jim Wooten had the day off. At least I haven't seen Dowd, Friedman, etal for a few days!
Now we know who hired all the Enron accountants.
And the liberal rags still don't get the hint
You know, there actually are some conservatives who work in the newspaper business, who have children. Like me. So while I normally don't like to get into P.C. territory when dealing with people's opinions, aren't you a bit over the line here?
I bet you could make a tidy sum and decimate the papers by offering a cheap subscription of a package made up of obituaries, ad circulars, cultural listings, coupons, and sports. Maybe ad classified ads for an extra 25 cents.
I don't have the drive or the capital to do this, but someone in advertising should latch onto it. Our local paper is already charging for obituaries more than 2 paragraphs and for wedding and anniversary stories. You just know people have to be ticked off about this, and would welcome a place that would print those things for free. I bet you could charge people $1.00/month, charge advertisers for distribution of theier flyers, and make money.
I don't know how most papers account for their numbers, but when I moved into my home, the nyt sent to me a free subscription. I repeatedly declined their offer but to this day, I still get their paper at my door. So perhaps they count me as one of their new subscribers.
I didn't know that.
Can you provide a link to confirm that?
I'd like to see it for myself.
Thank you in advance.
I wouldn't even trust these numbers as "real". I live in Allentown, PA. I subscribe to the Morning Call newspaper for Saturday and Sunday. They give me Thursday and Friday for free. Sometimes, I get Monday for free also. Somehow, I'd bet that those free ones count toward their circulation, even though I don't subscribe to them.
You responded:
"Those copies have to be reported separately, so the advertisers know how many copies are distributed that way."
I didn't know that. So I ask:
Can you provide a link to confirm that? I'd like to see it for myself.
And would you know what benefit there is to print and distribute a paper that goes straight to my recyling bin?
All right, we won!
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