Most newspapers and magazines have long participated in an audited circulation measurement consortium even down to listing free office copies, copies ruined in the print process etc.
In the good old days it was a bit of a brag but it was also a signal to advertisers that their dollars were well spent.
Unfortunately for them those same audited figures aren’t so pretty now but they can’t necessarily keep them a secret.
I note the above grammar fail, and a couple of others in the article. I don't beat up on FReepers who use poor grammar, because they don't write for a living or a hobby, but this level of grammar fail is unacceptable for somebody who is a wanna be reporter, and really undercuts the credibility of whoever wrote this. IMHO
And I agree with your point - what is the source documentation for the writer's assertions?
Newspapers lies about their circulation big time.
They dump newspapers in hotels, airports, any public place for free and call it “circulation”.
If they get really desperate they dump the newspapers in dumpsters and call it “circulation”.
If you want to “strike back” contact their advertisers, claim the newspaper is lying about circulation, and demand that they do a telephone poll or other independent measure and not trust any other source to estimate real circulation.
That will get these newspapers biting the dust even quicker than their current trajectory to oblivion.
P.S. Don’t forget to remind the advertiser to sue the dirtbag newspaper to recover previously fraudulently obtained ad money.