On Tuesday, Editor & Publisher released daily and Sunday newspaper circulation figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations as of September 30, along with percentage changes from the preceding year. Showing that the press can't even report accurately about itself E&P's accompanying commentary vastly understated the situation:
Most Major Papers Continue Circ Decline
According to ABC for the 507 newspapers reporting in this period, daily circulation slipped 4.6% to 38,165,848 copies. For the 571 papers, Sunday dropped 4.8% to 43,631,646 copies.
For comparison purposes, in September 2007 reporting period, daily circ fell 2.6% and Sunday was down 4.6%.
"Most"? Try "Virtually All." The daily figures show that all but two of the top 25 papers lost circulation during the previous 12 months (USA today and he Wall Street Journal both gained a "whopping" 0.01%). Only the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, at +0.80%, gained on Sundays. E&P's commentary cited precious few tiny increases at non-Top 25 papers.
If you think the one-year news is bad, check out what has happened during the past five:
The chart differentiates between the three papers that tend to play it straight (emphasis "tend," to allow for USA Today's occasional lapses) and 17 other larger papers whose 2003 information isn't tainted by the circulation scandals earlier this decade.
What a difference playing it straight makes (though it should be noted that the New York Post declined 7.2% during the most recent 12 months after showing mostly gains in the previous four years).
And what a terrible price the metros are paying for their bias and obsessive political correctness. Sure, the Internet has been tough on them, but I maintain that if the public hadn't been starving for fair and balanced alternatives for decades, readers would have migrated to the papers' web sites and would have paid little attention to alternative sites and blogs. That clearly hasn't happened.
I'll leave it to readers to comment on declines at individual papers.
Detailed information is also at BizzyBlog.com.
—Tom Blumer is president of a training and development company in Mason, Ohio, and is a contributing editor to NewsBusters
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I would have liked to see
October 29, 2008 - 10:01 ET by Tim the EnchanterI would have liked to see The Washington Times in that list. Bet they're doing just fine.
Heh heh heh, can't wait to
October 29, 2008 - 10:05 ET by Scuba DudeHeh heh heh, can't wait to see the NYT go under. I even stopped going to their website for news, (except to post one last comment in the forums). When will these dinosaurs realize they hemorrhaged readers because of their blatant bias and it's quicker and easier to go to the Internet and get the truth?
Interesting that
October 29, 2008 - 10:14 ET by IamTinmanInteresting that at least a quick look at the chart shows that the more left leaning the newspaper, the higher the circulation drop. The local rag, the San Francisco Chronicle shows the steepest drop despite trying to expand their circulation to the entire Bay area.
When does the sidewalk sale start
October 29, 2008 - 10:39 ET by Tom in NCCan't wait to see the "FOR SALE" sign on the doors to the NYT building, with the explanation "Due to lack of interest".
That would be fun. I can't
October 29, 2008 - 10:45 ET by HockeyKidThat would be fun. I can't wait for the day when Couric-esque declarations of, "I became a journalist because I wanted to change the world" will be universally recognized as foolish history.
Serves 'em right. For
October 29, 2008 - 10:42 ET by HockeyKidServes 'em right. For decades now, the lefties have been labeling their brand of journalism as neutral in J-schools across the country. The moment the public had an opportunity to get honestly unbiased reporting (and honestly biased reporting, for that matter), they abandoned the Big Papers' "unbiased" reportage en masse. Libs should take a lesson on doublespeak from this.
Couldn't happen to a more
October 29, 2008 - 10:57 ET by ThisnThat"all but two of the top 25 papers lost circulation during the previous 12 months"
Couldn't happen to a more deserving bunch of people.
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Good ridance to bad rubbish
October 29, 2008 - 10:57 ET by IgnatzJFahrquarLet 'em fail.
I'm sure there will be those out there that will lament the death of a "news source" for those without internet access, etc. Do not dispare, like a computer the printed news will "reboot". Hopefully taking into account the lessons learned.
Just like the alphabet news, people are taking notice to the unabashed bias and thus ratings and subscriptions drop. While having some aspect in the decline, the internet and changing lifestyles ARE NOT the main reason for this drop off.
In my opinion, ole Mister Rupert probably realized this and did his best to put a "fair and balanced" product on the airwaves. Result, FoxNews seems to be thriving. Is FoxNews truly "F & B"? There is room for improvement but, they are hugely better than the rest.
"All generalizations are false, including this one.” Mark Twain
Well said IGJ, Fox is the
October 29, 2008 - 11:11 ET by Scuba DudeWell said IGJ, Fox is the only station I turn to for news. They have no problems showing both sides of a story.
The other networks? Feh, they can go scratch for all I care. They should become irrelevant for all the cr@p that they threw at McCain/Palin.
I can find
October 29, 2008 - 12:45 ET by NorthCoastermore first hand information on my own.
Sorry, "Fifth Estate".....or is it sorry Fifth Estate.