[riskybiz]

I posted:

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?

[Dave W]

The link is accessabc.com. That is for the Audit Bureau of Circulations, which is the independent agency that makes the rules on how newspapers count paid papers. The agency also audits the papers, magazines, etc. that are members of ABC, which is almost all publications.

The papers in question are called "intermittent copies" and the rules governing these copies were tightened some time ago. These copies make up a small number of copies in a limited number of papers and the papers are required to list these papers as a separate line item.