'I think 
the last real generation that’s interested in newspapers is the baby boomers. People under that age are not lifelong newspaper readers and generally turn to television, especially cable, to get their
 news.'
 

 

  Even with war, big
papers lost readers

If anything, Iraq may simply have slowed declines

By Jeff Bercovici


   In this time of terrorism alerts, preemptive wars, economic crisis and mysterious epidemics, you might expect that people would be paying more attention to the news. But if you assumed that would result in circulation gains for newspapers, you’d be wrong.
   Most papers posted little or no circulation gains in the six months that ended March 31, and many of the biggest papers lost circulation, according to figures released yesterday by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
   The New York Times, the Boston Globe, the Washington Post and the Baltimore Sun were among the major papers to report declines.
   If the events of the past two years have had any effect on newspaper circulation, it has merely been to temporarily slow the long-term erosion of newspaper consumption, says David Cole, editor of News Inc., a newspaper industry newsletter.
   “The big news stories have really helped newspapers. Without them, they would be losing circulation,” says Cole.
   While wars and other events may drive large numbers of people to seek out news, newspapers no longer reap much of the benefit, he says.
   “I think the last real generation that’s interested in newspapers is the baby boomers. People under that age are not lifelong newspaper readers and generally turn to television, especially cable, to get their news.”
   Newspaper publishers are fully aware of this trend, and the Newspaper Circulation of America now tracks only readership, not circulation, says Cole.
   “Mass circulation is probably not the way we’re going to make our money in the future.”
   The New York Times suffered one of the biggest declines of any newspaper in the six months ending March 31, with average Monday-Friday circulation falling 5.3 percent to 1.13 million. Circulation of the Sunday Times, the nation’s biggest Sunday paper, was down 3.6 percent to 1.67 million.
   The Boston Globe, which is also owned by The New York Times Co., was down 6.3 percent on weekdays, averaging 448,817, and down 3.5 percent on Sundays, to 680,115. 
  
The Washington Post’s weekday circulation was off 1.9 percent to 796,367, while Sunday circulation was down 1.9 percent to 1.05 million.
   Among papers that posted circulation increases, the New York Post had one of the biggest, with a 10.2 percent rise on weekdays for an average of 620,080. The Post’s Sunday circulation was up 4.2 percent to 420,179.
   The Post’s rival, the New York Daily News, managed a weekday increase of 0.7 percent to 737,030. Sunday circulation was up 0.2 percent to 810,533.
   The nation’s biggest newspaper, USA Today, posted a 2 percent increase for its Monday-Thursday edition, with an average circulation of 2.16 million. USA Today’s weekend edition grew 1.05 percent to 2.60 million.
   The Wall Street Journal’s circulation was flat at 1.82 million.

Major Market Newspapers
Weekday and Saturday editions


 City Newspaper 

Day of week

Total paid circ for period ending 3/31/03

total paid circ for period ending 3/31/02

Percent change

WASH.

USA TODAY

FRI M

2,602,556

2,575,423

1.05

WASH

USA TODAY

M (M-THU)

2,162,454

2,120,357

1.99

NEW YORK

WALL STREET
JOURNAL

CMBD (M-F)

1,820,600

1,820,525

0.00

NEW YORK 

TIMES

M (M-F)

1,130,740

1,194,491

-5.34

NEW YORK 

TIMES

SAT M

1,049,129

1,088,117

-3.58

L.A.

TIMES

M (THU-SAT)

1,014,044

1,011,730

0.23

L.A. 

TIMES

M (M-W)

945,053

959,864

-1.54

WASH

WASH.
POST

M (M-F)

796,367

811,925

-1.92

WASH

WASH.
POST

SAT M

718,109

735,329

-2.34

NEW YORK 

NEWS

M (M-F)

737,030

731,877

0.70

CHICAGO 

TRIBUNE

M (W-F)

693,659

689,026

0.67

DENVER 

DENVER POST
 ROCKY
MOUNTAIN
NEWS

CMBD FRI

 

679,836

-100.00

DENVER 

DENVER POST
 ROCKY
MOUNTAIN
NEWS

SAT M

620,590

641,112

-3.20

DENVER 

DENVER POST
 ROCKY
MOUNTAIN
NEWS

CMBD (M-THU)

 

610,773

-100.00

DETROIT 

FREE PRESS/NEWS

CMBD DLY

596,575

603,974

-1.23

DALLAS 

NEWS

FRI M

596,616

587,515

1.55

LONG ISLAND 

NEWSDAY

M (M-F)

579,351

577,796

0.27

CHICAGO 

TRIBUNE

SAT M

559,901

568,022

-1.43

NEW YORK 

NEWS

SAT M

546,522

566,380

-3.51

NEW YORK 

POST

M (M-F)

620,080

562,639

10.21

HOUSTON

CHRONICLE

M (M-SAT)

548,508

545,727

0.51

DALLAS 

NEWS

SAT M

541,148

545,549

-0.81

DETROIT 

NEWS 
AND
 FREE PRESS

SAT & HOLS

520,931

537,281

-3.04

CHICAGO 

TRIBUNE

M (M-TUE)

512,150

536,468

-4.53

SAN FRAN.

CHRONICLE

ALL DAY (M-F)

 

525,897

-100.00

L.A.

LOS ANGELES
NEWSPAPER
GRP

M (M-F)

522,335

516,638

1.10

DALLAS 

NEWS

M (M-THU)

515,909

511,159

0.93

PHOENIX 

REPUBLIC

M (M-SAT)

486,131

496,373

-2.06

ATLANTA 

CONSTITUTION, JOURNAL

SAT

477,816

491,855

-2.85

CHICAGO 

CHICAGO 
SUN-TIMES

M (M-F)

491,795

487,397

0.90

L.A.

LOS ANGELES NEWSPAPER GRP

SAT M

502,317

486,327

3.29

ATLANTA 

CONSTITUTION, JOURNAL
 (10-1-01 to 11-2-01)

CMBD FRI

 

485,292

-100.00

BOSTON 

GLOBE

M (M-F)

448,817

478,734

-6.25

SAN
 FRAN 

CHRONICLE

SAT

486,077

476,303

2.05

ATLANTA 

CONSTITUTION, JOURNAL 
(11-2-01 to 3-31-02)

FRI M

 

459,658

-100.00

BOSTON 

GLOBE

SAT M

431,470

446,760

-3.42

LONG ISLAND 

NEWSDAY

SAT

419,042

430,111

-2.57

MIAMI

MIAMI HERALD
EL NUEVO
HERALD

CMBD (M-SAT)

418,388

416,271

0.51

ATLANTA 

CONSTITUTION,
JOURNAL
 (10-1-01 to 11-2-01)

CMBD DLY

 

415,896

-100.00

NEW YORK 

POST

SAT M

430,592

413,679

4.09

NEWARK

STAR
LEDGER

M (M-F)

407,730

406,717

0.25

MINN
ST. PAUL 

STAR 
TRIBUNE

M (THU-SAT)

 

405,459

-100.00

ATLANTA

CONSTITUTION, JOURNAL
 (11-2-01 to 3-31-02)

M (M-THU)

 

405,367

-100.00

SEATTLE 

POST
INTELLIGENCER

TIMES

CMBD DLY

395,282

392,659

0.67

PHILA 

INQUIRER

M (M-F)

386,890

381,105

1.52

ATLANTA 

CONSTITUTION 
(10-1-01 to 11-2-01)

FRI M

 

380,496

-100.00

CLEVLND 

PLAIN DEALER

M (M-SAT)

373,137

368,322

1.31

SAN DIEGO 

UNION
TRIBUNE

M (M-SAT)

 

367,629

-100.00

DETROIT 

FREE 
PRESS

M (M-F)

363,490

364,620

-0.31

SEATTLE 

POST
INTELLIGENCER,
TIMES

CMBD SAT

357,477

363,245

-1.59

ST. 
PETRSBRG 

TIMES

M (M-SAT)

354,869

352,777

0.59

DENVER 

ROCKY
MOUNTAIN
NEWS

FRI M

 

352,144

-100.00

PORTLAND 

OREGONIAN

ALL DAY (M-F)

344,550

347,533

-0.86

MINN
ST. PAUL 

STAR 
TRIBUNE

M (M-W)

 

346,139

-100.00

PORTLAND 

OREGONIAN

SAT M

328,824

332,687

-1.16

NEWARK 

STAR
LEDGER

SAT M

332,838

330,404

0.74

DENVER 

DENVER POST

FRI M

 

327,692

-100.00

ATLANTA 

CONSTITUTION, JOURNAL 
(10-1-01 to 11-2-01)

M (M-THU)

 

327,213

-100.00

MIAMI 

MIAMI 
HERALD

M (M-SAT)

328,124

327,105

0.31

CHICAGO 

 SUN-TIMES

SAT M

305,754

317,117

-3.58

PHILA 

INQUIRER

SAT M

324,058

315,125

2.83

ORANGE CO. 

REGISTER

M (M-SAT)

307,205

314,760

-2.40

BALTIMRE

SUN

M (W-SAT)

304,244

313,127

-2.84

SACRA 

BEE

M (M-SAT)

302,804

307,238

-1.44

DENVER 

ROCKY 
MOUNTAIN
 NEWS

M (M-THU)

 

306,230

-100.00

DENVER 

DENVER
 POST

M (M-THU)

 

304,543

-100.00

KANSAS 
CITY 

STAR

SAT

 

295,053

-100.00

ST. LOUIS 

POST
DISPATCH

M (M-SAT)

286,939

290,372

-1.18

FORT LAUDRDALE 

SOUTH FLA
SUN
SENTINEL

THU-SAT

282,538

279,903

0.94

ALAMEDA

ANG 
NEWSPPRS

M (M-F) & E (M-F)

280,440

279,868

0.20

SAN JOSE

MERCURY 
NEWS

M (M-SAT)

276,787

275,316

0.53

L.A. 

INVESTOR'S 
BUSINESS
 DAILY

M (M-F)

242,661

272,562

-10.97

KANSAS 
CITY 

STAR

M (M-F)

 

266,258

-100.00

ORLANDO 

SENTINEL

M (M-SAT)

266,770

265,365

0.53

BALTIMORE 

SUN

M (M-TUE)

236,506

261,350

-9.51

NEW
ORLEANS 

TIMES
PICAYUNE

M (M-SAT)

260,720

259,635

0.42

BOSTON 

HERALD

M (M-F)

247,885

257,269

-3.65

COLUMBUS 

DISPATCH

M (M-SAT)

261,566

253,064

3.36

INDIANAPLS

STAR

M (M-SAT)

255,286

253,020

0.90

FORT
 WORTH 

STAR
TELEGRAM

FRI M

268,546

251,742

6.68

MILWKEE

JOURNAL SENTINEL

M (M-F)

257,599

249,724

3.15

PITTSBRGH 

POST
GAZETTE

M (M-F)

248,176

247,795

0.15

HARTFORD 

COURANT

THU M

241,635

245,718

-1.66

FORT 
WORTH

STAR
TELEGRAM

SAT M

258,145

243,951

5.82

FORT
LAUDRDALE 

SOUTH FLA
 SUN-SENTINEL

M (M-W)

248,962

243,283

2.33

CHARLOTTE 

OBSERVER

M (M-SAT)

242,082

240,324

0.73

DETROIT 

NEWS

E (M-F)

233,085

239,354

-2.62

PITTSBRGH 

POST-GAZETTE

SAT

232,514

233,561

-0.45

MILWKEE

JOURNAL SENTINEL

SAT M

236,052

233,019

1.30

NORFOLK

VA-PILOT

SUN

233,576

232,139

0.62

ALAMEDA 

ANG NEWSPAPERS

SAT

231,581

229,993

0.69

SEATTLE 

TIMES

M (M-F)

239,468

228,387

4.85

FORT
 WORTH

STAR
TELEGRAM

M (M-THU)

228,325

226,065

1.00

TAMPA 

TRIBUNE

M (M-SAT)

238,176

224,921

5.89

CINCIN

ENQUIRER

FRI M

218,514

222,239

-1.68

SALT LAKE 

TRIBUNE, DESERET
 NEWS

CMBD DLY

211,271

220,573

-4.22

BUFFALO 

NEWS

ALL DAY (M-SAT)

218,385

220,347

-0.89

NORFOLK

VIRGINIAN
PILOT

SAT M

 

219,249

-100.00

OKLA. CITY 

OKLAHOMAN

M (M-SAT)

222,354

217,529

2.22

SEATTLE 

TIMES

SAT M

219,265

214,358

2.29

NASHVILLE 

TENNESSEAN

SAT M

205,071

209,734

-2.22

CINCIN 

ENQUIRER

SAT M

199,298

206,844

-3.65

SAN JUAN

EL NUEVO DIA

M (M-SAT)

203,153

205,810

-1.29

LAS VEGAS 

REVIEW
JOURNAL
, SUN

CMBD DLY

207,178

203,681

1.72

NORFOLK

VIRGINIAN
PILOT

M (M-F)

 

196,131

-100.00

HARTFORD 

COURANT

M (M-W, F & SAT)

190,402

194,526

-2.12

OMAHA 

WORLD
HERALD

ALL DAY (M-F)

200,238

193,727

3.36

RICHMOND 

TIMES
DISPATCH

M (M-SAT)

192,500

193,582

-0.56

LAS VEGAS 

REVIEW
JOURNAL

SAT M & HOLS

195,870

193,543

1.20

DAYTON 

NEWS

THU M

191,366

193,356

-1.03

BOSTON 

HERALD

SAT M

184,846

192,309

-3.88

CINCIN 

ENQUIRER

M (M-THU)

191,780

191,032

0.39

LITTLE
ROCK 

DEMOCRAT
 GAZETTE

M (M-SAT)

188,957

190,536

-0.83

ST. PAUL 

PIONEER 
PRESS

M (M-F)

191,912

190,145

0.93

OMAHA 

WORLD
HERALD

SAT M

189,673

188,275

0.74

MEMPHIS 

COMMERCIAL
APPEAL

M (THU-SAT)

192,809

188,021

2.55

AUSTIN 

AMERICAN
STATESMAN

M (M-SAT)

188,254

187,754

0.27

BERGEN CO.

RECORD

M (M-SAT)

191,034

187,247

2.02

RIVERSIDE

PRESS
ENTERPRISE

M (M-SAT)

188,091

184,576

1.90

 Source: Audit Bureau of Circulations.



Major market newspapers
Sunday Papers 


 City Newspaper 

Total paid circ for period ending 3/31/03

total paid circ for period ending 3/31/02

Percent change

NEW YORK CITY (NEW YORK CO.)

TIMES

1,672,965

1,735,059

-3.58

LOS ANGELES (LOS ANGELES CO.)

TIMES

1,396,045

1,394,543

0.11

WASHINGTON

WASHINGTON POST

1,049,322

1,069,656

-1.90

CHICAGO (COOK CO.)

TRIBUNE

1,016,471

1,016,103

0.04

NEW YORK CITY (NEW YORK CO.)

NEWS

810,533

808,853

0.21

DENVER (DENVER CO.)

DENVER POST
 ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

790,508

795,049

-0.57

DALLAS (DALLAS CO.)

NEWS

786,594

776,868

1.25

PHILADELPHIA (PHILADELPHIA CO.)

INQUIRER

768,237

760,027

1.08

DETROIT (WAYNE CO.)

NEWS AND FREE PRESS

719,885

739,947

-2.71

HOUSTON (HARRIS CO.)

CHRONICLE

739,389

738,456

0.13

BOSTON (SUFFOLK CO.)

GLOBE

680,115

705,017

-3.53

MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL (HENNEPIN CO.)

STAR TRIBUNE

669,358

669,289

0.01

LONG ISLAND (MELVILLE P.O.)

NEWSDAY

665,324

664,288

0.16

ATLANTA (FULTON CO.)

CONSTITUTION, JOURNAL

658,581

660,445

-0.28

NEWARK (ESSEX CO.)

STAR-LEDGER

609,514

608,511

0.16

PHOENIX (MARICOPA CO.)

REPUBLIC

596,993

601,885

-0.81

LOS ANGELES CO. (WOODLAND HILLS P.O.)

LOS ANGELES
NEWSPAPER GROUP

583,195

577,706

0.95

MIAMI (MIAMI-DADE CO.)

MIAMI HERALD
EL NUEVO HERALD

543,454

539,724

0.69

SAN FRANCISCO (SAN FRANCISCO CO.)

CHRONICLE

553,703

537,145

3.08

CLEVELAND (CUYAHOGA CO.)

PLAIN DEALER

482,380

479,353

0.63

SEATTLE (KING CO.)

TIMES/POST
INTELLIGENCER

474,748

473,232

0.32

ST. LOUIS (INDEPENDENT CITY)

POST-DISPATCH

468,211

472,322

-0.87

BALTIMORE (INDEPENDENT CITY)

SUN

470,014

468,379

0.35

SAN DIEGO (SAN DIEGO CO.)

UNION
TRIBUNE

444,899

450,489

-1.24

MIAMI (MIAMI-DADE CO.)

MIAMI HERALD

444,119

443,750

0.08

ST. PETERSBURG (PINELLAS CO.)

TIMES

442,348

440,059

0.52

MILWAUKEE (MILWAUKEE CO.)

JOURNAL SENTINEL

434,668

434,055

0.14

PORTLAND (MULTNOMAH CO.)

OREGONIAN

422,130

425,490

-0.79

PITTSBURGH (ALLEGHENY CO.)

POST
GAZETTE

409,217

412,271

-0.74

NEW YORK CITY (NEW YORK CO.)

POST

420,179

403,195

4.21

ORLANDO (ORANGE CO.)

SENTINEL

391,145

387,728

0.88

CHICAGO (COOK CO.)

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

383,548

382,089

0.38

KANSAS CITY (JACKSON CO.)

STAR

385,109

379,642

1.44

COLUMBUS (FRANKLIN CO.)

DISPATCH

373,694

372,305

0.37

FORT LAUDERDALE (BROWARD CO.)

SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL

375,145

371,913

0.87

ORANGE CO. (SANTA ANA P.O.)

REGISTER

370,738

371,114

-0.10

INDIANAPOLIS (MARION CO.)

STAR

367,142

366,496

0.18

SACRAMENTO (SACRAMENTO CO.)

BEE

349,989

358,087

-2.26

FORT WORTH (TARRANT CO.)

STAR
TELEGRAM

336,883

325,747

3.42

CINCINNATI (HAMILTON CO.)

ENQUIRER

311,733

310,279

0.47

BUFFALO (ERIE CO.)

NEWS

303,832

302,400

0.47

SAN JOSE (SANTA CLARA CO.)

MERCURY
NEWS

306,576

301,346

1.74

TAMPA (HILLSBOROUGH CO.)

TRIBUNE & TIMES

313,693

298,623

5.05

CHARLOTTE (MECKLENBURG CO.)

OBSERVER

296,771

291,942

1.65

LITTLE ROCK (PULASKI CO.)

DEMOCRAT GAZETTE

290,383

291,453

-0.37

OKLAHOMA CITY (OKLAHOMA CO.)

OKLAHOMAN

299,724

290,742

3.09

NEW ORLEANS (ORLEANS PARISH)

TIMES
PICAYUNE

287,001

290,102

-1.07

HARTFORD (HARTFORD CO.)

COURANT

283,177

288,814

-1.95

NASHVILLE (DAVIDSON CO.)

TENNESSEAN

254,884

258,415

-1.37

ST. PAUL (RAMSEY CO.)

PIONEER PRESS

251,574

245,534

2.46

DES MOINES (POLK CO.)

REGISTER

245,817

243,752

0.85

ALAMEDA (ALAMEDA CO.)

ANG 
NEWSPAPERS

242,644

242,093

0.23

OMAHA (DOUGLAS CO.)

WORLD
HERALD

241,137

241,892

-0.31

SALT LAKE CITY (SALT LAKE CO.)

TRIBUNE, 
DESERET NEWS

232,585

241,425

-3.66

SAN JUAN

EL NUEVO DIA

245,500

241,216

1.78

AUSTIN (TRAVIS CO.)

AMERICAN
STATESMAN

239,402

238,714

0.29

ROCHESTER (MONROE CO.)

DEMOCRAT &
CHRONICLE

232,688

235,779

-1.31

MEMPHIS (SHELBY CO.)

COMMERCIAL
APPEAL

239,709

235,596

1.75

RICHMOND (INDEPENDENT CITY)

TIMES
DISPATCH

230,021

232,118

-0.90

PROVIDENCE (PROVIDENCE CO.)

JOURNAL

233,591

232,040

0.67

JACKSONVILLE (DUVAL CO.)

TIMES-UNION

233,253

231,085

0.94

BERGEN CO. (HACKENSACK P.O.)

RECORD

232,620

230,889

0.75

NEPTUNE (MONMOUTH CO.)

ASBURY PARK
PRESS

225,057

227,609

-1.12

LAS VEGAS (CLARK CO.)

REVIEW
JOURNAL

229,000

223,923

2.27

WEST PALM BEACH (PALM BEACH CO.)

POST

222,833

223,569

-0.33

RALEIGH (WAKE CO.)

NEWS & OBSERVER

211,288

210,922

0.17

DAYTON (MONTGOMERY CO.)

NEWS

199,744

203,381

-1.79

LOS ANGELES (LOS ANGELES CO.)

DAILY NEWS

200,570

200,162

0.20

FRESNO (FRESNO CO.)

BEE

195,389

192,997

1.24

WALNUT CREEK (CONTRA COSTA CO.)

CONTRA
COSTA TIMES

195,217

192,346

1.49

GREENSBURG (WESTMORELAND CO.)

TRIBUNE
REVIEW

185,914

190,387

-2.35

BIRMINGHAM (JEFFERSON CO.)

NEWS

192,004

190,259

0.92

GRAND RAPIDS (KENT CO.)

PRESS

188,977

189,487

-0.27

RIVERSIDE CO. (RIVERSIDE P.O.)

PRESS
ENTERPRISE

190,773

189,109

0.88

TOLEDO (LUCAS CO.)

BLADE

185,309

188,821

-1.86

AKRON (SUMMIT CO.)

BEACON JOURNAL

185,916

187,348

-0.76

Source: Audit Bureau of Circulations


 

May 6, 2003© 2003 Media Life


-Jeff Bercovici is a staff writer for Media Life.


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