Newspapers

[genlock]

NEW YORK (AP) -- The decline in U.S. newspaper circulation is accelerating as the industry struggles with defections to the Internet and tumbling ad revenue.

Figures released Monday by the Audit Bureau of Circulations show that average daily circulation dropped 10.6 percent in the April-September period from the same six-month span in 2008. That was greater than the 7.1 percent decline in the October 2008-March 2009 period and the 4.6 percent drop in the April-September period of 2008.

Sunday circulation fell 7.5 percent in the latest six-month span.

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL -- 2,024,269 -- 0.61%
USA TODAY -- 1,900,116 -- (-17.15%)
THE NEW YORK TIMES -- 927,851 -- (-7.28%)
LOS ANGELES TIMES -- 657,467 -- (-11.05%)
THE WASHINGTON POST -- 582,844 -- (-6.40%)

DAILY NEWS (NEW YORK) -- 544,167 -- (-13.98%)
NEW YORK POST -- 508,042 -- (-18.77%)
CHICAGO TRIBUNE -- 465,892 -- (-9.72%)
HOUSTON CHRONICLE -- 384,419 -- (-14.24%)
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER -- 361,480 -- N/A

NEWSDAY -- 357,124 -- (-5.40%)
THE DENVER POST -- 340,949 -- N/A
THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC -- 316,874 -- (-12.30%)
STAR TRIBUNE, MINNEAPOLIS -- 304,543 -- (-5.53%)
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES -- 275,641 -- (-11.98%)

The PLAIN DEALER, CLEVELAND -- 271,180 -- (-11.24%)
DETROIT FREE PRESS (e) -- 269,729 -- (-9.56%)
THE BOSTON GLOBE -- 264,105 -- (-18.48%)
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS -- 263,810 -- (-22.16%)
THE SEATTLE TIMES -- 263,588 -- N/A

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE -- 251,782 -- (-25.82%)
THE OREGONIAN -- 249,163 -- (-12.06%)
THE STAR-LEDGER, NEWARK -- 246,006 -- (-22.22%)
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE -- 242,705 -- (-10.05%)
ST. PETERSBURG (FLA.) TIMES -- 240,147 -- (-10.70%)

[Jet Black]

And Yet, The Daily Atheneum rolls on.

[genlock]

These newspapers gained circulation.
Why?

YORK (PA.) DAILY RECORD -- 55,370 -- 16.45%
WOMEN'S WEAR DAILY -- 53,142 -- 14.31%
THE OAKLAND (MICH.) PRESS -- 68,067 -- 7.26%
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL -- 175,841 -- 6.56%
CHATTANOOGA (TENN.) TIMES FREE PRESS -- 69,569 -- 2.18%

OGDEN (UTAH) STANDARD-EXAMINER -- 62,062 -- 1.89%
NEW HAVEN (CONN.) REGISTER -- 70,559 -- 0.79%
MOBILE (ALA.) PRESS-REGISTER -- 92,849 -- 0.75%
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL -- 2,024,269 -- 0.61%
THE FORUM, FARGO, N.D. -- 50,131 -- 0.39%

What did they do right in Harrisburg/Lancaster/Lebanon/York, Pa?
Maybe that is incorrect as that is a TV market but something had to happen there.

[jag]

And Yet, The Daily Atheneum rolls on.

As well it should. Any of a number of commercial newspapers would do well to be as generally well done.

Any numbers on other West Virginia newspapers?

[AmpedNow]

Newspapers print articles on sixth grade comprehension level.

This is beyond the literacy level of roughly 1 in 5 West Virginians... How many millions more are there throughout the country who couldn't read a newspaper even if they wanted to?

Another 50% don't even care about news.

The remaining 25% who do care get their news from numerous sources online.

Or, they will want it delivered daily on a Kindle or iPhone. Who wants to fumble around with large sheets of paper anymore?

Illiteracy, apathy, and the Drudge Report are killing them.

[genlock]

And Yet, The Daily Atheneum rolls on.

Government supported, paper would be successful even if no-one read it.
Sort of like the business plan for public broadcasting.

[Lester]

Government supported, paper would be successful even if no-one read it.
Sort of like the business plan for public broadcasting.

Or the U.S.P.S. Demand drops, price goes up anyway.

[jag]

Newspapers print articles on sixth grade comprehension level.

Sadly, it seems that they also base the topicality of their stories on a sixth grade level.

[Bob Campbell]

So, you figure that's several grade levels above the net and tv though.

[jag]

Point well taken, Bob!

Of course, the main purpose of the newspaper is still to inform. TV and the Net have become more like entertainment (and often bad entertainment, at that) media.