April 26, 2010

Newspaper woes continue; Journal Times shows small gains

Newspapers are continuing to have a hard time keeping and attracting readers, in this internet age. Preliminary figures released today by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, the industry's readership monitor, show overall U.S. newspaper circulation fell 8.7% in the past six months, compared to figures released a year ago. Sunday circulation fell 6.5%.

The good news is that both declines are less than what the industry suffered a year ago. 

ABC's figures also show that 24 of the country's 25 largest newspapers lost circulation over the past six months. The one exception: The Wall St. Journal, which today launched a New York edition challenging the New York Times in its own backyard.The WSJ already has more daily readers than any other newspaper in the country, with 2,092,523.

Among the biggest losers: USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Sun-Times, Washington Post and Detroit Free Press -- all down at least 13%. The San Francisco Chronicle brought up the rear, dropping 22.68%.

The Racine Journal Times showed a small gain over the past six months. Sunday's preliminary figure reported to the Audit Bureau of Circulations shows 29,437 paid circulation on Sunday, up seven from one year ago; and 27,892 daily, up 214 from last year's 27,678.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, despite winning a Pulitzer, had a tougher year: Sunday circulation dropped to 328,247, from 361,355 last March. Daily circulation dropped to 186,433, from 203,240.

The Kenosha News gained 326 subscribers on Sunday, ending the past six months with 26,548 compared to 26,222 a year ago. Daily circulation dropped more than a thousand, to 22,917, from 23,938 a year ago.

The Madison State Journal, which last year was bolstered by the addition of the now-online-only Capital Times' roughly 12,000 subscriber base, gave up much of that gain. Sunday circulation is down to 125,039 from 133,794. Daily circulation is 91,575, down from 96,918.

6 comments:

  1. Wow, the JT's daily circulation is only up 214 from last year? With all the salespeople they have camped out at grocery stores, Walgreen's and may other retail stores for the last year... you'd think that number would be much higher.

    The rude door to door salesmen didn't seem to help much either. When one of their guys showed up at my door, I told him "no" about 5 times. When he finally asked "why?" I told him that I could read all the local news I could ever want online for FREE. After that, he turned away from my door and walked to our neighbors house without saying "thank you" or "goodbye".

    When will it hit them that the sooner they get away from printing, the better off they'll be?

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  2. 1:12 - Soon the JT's will charge for internet coverage as other papers do, so don't think you are so smart.

    And Pete and Dustin - your heading sounds as if take some pleasure on reporting this story. That's a cheap shot - but I should know this is your approach by now.

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  3. Anon 1:12 Why don't you stick to the facts, as we do? There's no factual basis for your "sounds as if take some pleasure in reporting this story." The "cheap shot" is all on you.

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  4. With the world trying to go green, they should go paperless and have an internet based newspaper. They can make up revenue with advertisement. They can also sell the pictures to the people who are in them. The newspaper's expenses would be a lot cheaper if it did not need to run overnight press. Yes, I do know that means less jobs, but it seems like the way to go.

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  5. If I here the word "green" one more time, I'm going to puke.

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  6. Why would someone in their right mind pay for reading the news on the Journal Times website?

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