Of the top 25 daily newspapers in the US, only four had circulations gains for the six-month period ended Sept. 30 over the year-earlier period, according to Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) FAS-FAX preliminary numbers issued earlier this week, writes Editor & Publisher.
USA Today, the largest US newspaper, increased circulation 1.04%, to 2,293,137; No. 4 Los Angeles Times increased 0.5%; No. 16 The Philadelphia Inquirer increased 2.31%; and No. 22 St. Petersburg Times increased 0.04%.
According to data reported for 538 daily U.S. newspapers, circulation declined 2.5% to 40,689,617 compared with the average for the second and third quarters (combined) of 2006; for 609 Sunday papers, circulation dropped 3.5% to 46,771,486.
Of the top 25 Sunday papers, just three had circulation increases in the six-month period ended Sept. 30, compared with the average for the year-earlier period, according to the E&P report. No. 6 Houston Chronicle gained 0.09%; No. 20 St. Louis Post-Dispatch gained 0.43%; and No. 23 St. Petersburg Times increased average Sunday circulation 0.85%.
Some other highlights:
- The Wall Street Journal was down 1.53%, to 2,011,882.
- New York Times circulation fell 4.51% to 1,037,828 and Sunday circulation fell 7.59%, to 1,500,394.
- New York Post daily circ was down 5.2%, to 667,119; Sunday fell 5%, to 405,486.
- New York’s Daily News declined 1.7%, to 681,415; Sunday decreased 6.8%, to 726,305.
- Los Angeles Times daily circ grew 0.5% to 779,682; Sunday fell 5.1% to 1,112,165.
- Washington Post circulation was down 3.2% to 635,087; Sunday was down 3.9%, to 894,428.
- Chicago Tribune daily circulation slipped 2.9%, to 559,404; Sunday fell 2%, to 917,868.
- Boston Globe circulation fell 6.6%, to 360,695; Sunday fell 6.5%, to 548,906.
- San Francisco Chronicle daily circulation was down 2.9%, to 365,234; Sunday circulation was down 0.66%, to 430,115.
