State’s newspapers buck U.S. trend
Posted on Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Daily paid circulation among major U. S. newspapers dropped 3. 6 percent in the six months ending March 31, but most Arkansas papers reporting to the Audit Bureau of Circulations showed an increase.
The state’s largest newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, slipped by 0. 4 percent Monday through Friday, to 182, 212 from 183, 034, after showing a slight increase in that category for the year-earlier period.
Average Sunday circulation for the more than 500 dailies that report to the agency fell 4. 6 percent compared with the yearearlier period, the Audit Bureau of Circulations said Monday.
Sunday circulation at the Democrat-Gazette fell 0. 7 percent, to 274, 494 from 276, 310. Saturday circulation at the newspaper fell 0. 5 percent, to 179, 747 from 180, 698.
Paul R. Smith, president and general manager of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc., said the newspaper was pleased with the performance, adding that circulation in the past two years has been essentially flat while the newspaper industry overall has seen circulation suffer.
For the Sunday edition, the newspaper is once again No. 1 in “city zone” penetration, or the percentage of people in a market who are subscribers, for papers in markets with more than 100, 000 households, Smith said. The city zone includes more than 95 percent of Pulaski County.
Nationwide, 530 newspapers reported daily numbers and 601 newspapers reported Sunday figures, said Neal Lulofs, an audit bureau spokesman.
Circulation is important to papers as a measurement of audience to sell to advertisers.
Of the top 25 newspapers nationwide, only USA Today and The Wall Street Journal reported an increase in circulation. USA Today saw circulation rise 0. 3 percent to 2, 284, 219 and The Journal climbed 0. 4 percent to 2, 069, 463.
Editor & Publisher magazine noted Monday that Democrat-Gazette publisher Walter Hussman has credited charging for most of the newspaper’s Web content for keeping circulation strong. Hussman told the magazine that free news on other Web sites could explain the recent drop in circulation.
“Our home delivery circulation is up, but single-copy sales are off, and the reason for the overall decrease,” Hussman was quoted as saying. “The instant availability of news, for free, on desktops, laptops, Treos, iPhones, etc. — not to mentions multiple cable channels — is our best guess for the continuing softness in single copy. It is hard to compete with free.” Smith also said online news might have hurt sales of single copies such as those sold at stores, vending machines or elsewhere.
His hunch is that the same number of people are buying the paper, but they may only be doing so on certain days, such as “if there’s a story they want a lot of information about, maybe after a Razorback game or some major news event. Perhaps on a day that there’s not a news event that they want significant information about, they might just get that on the Internet.” Smith believes a recession would only slightly hurt circulation at newspapers. While a recession officially hasn’t been declared in the United States, some economists believe the country may be experiencing one.
“People delay major purchases like an automobile or electronics or something like that, but generally they don’t cancel their newspaper,” he said.
Advertising revenue, however, does typically decline in a recession for traditional media such as television or newspapers.
The New York Times ’ daily circulation tumbled 3. 9 percent to 1, 077, 256.
Dallas Morning News continued its string of sharp circulation drops, falling 10. 6 percent to 368, 313 for the average weekday. Circulation at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution slid 8. 5 percent to 326, 907. In Memphis, The Commercial Appeal reversed steep drops it has reported recently — daily circulation rose 0. 4 percent to 146, 961.
Five Arkansas newspapers besides the Democrat-Gazette reported circulation figures.
At the Southwest Times Record in Fort Smith, a Stephens Media LLC newspaper, average Monday through Friday grew to 40, 231 from 39, 530, and Saturday circulation grew to 36, 398 from 36, 177. Sunday circulation fell to 43, 384 from 43, 544.
The Morning News in Northwest Arkansas, another Stephens publication, said weekday circulation grew to 33, 582 from 33, 057. Saturday circulation fell to 36, 564 from 37, 341. Sunday circulation fell to 40, 304 from 41, 202.
The Sun in Jonesboro, owned by Paxton Media Group of Paducah, Ky., reported that circulation fell to 19, 830 from 20, 891 for Monday through Saturday. Sunday circulation fell to 22, 564 from 23, 408.
WEHCO Media, Inc. ’s newspaper in Hot Springs, The Sentinel-Record, said circulation for Monday through Saturday rose to 17, 943 from 17, 645. Sunday circulation rose to 18, 998 from 18, 943.
The El Dorado News-Times, a WEHCO Media newspaper, reported average Monday through Saturday circulation rose to 9, 823 from 9, 632. Sunday circulation fell to 15, 035 from 15, 112.
FEEDBACK:
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
