Haven’t really read a paper since the Rocky Mountain News folded. Can’t stand the comPost. They used to throw thing in my driveway on Sunday to boost their “circulation”.
Yes, I’m sure they were throwing the paper in your driveway to boost circulation.
I was in the newspaper business many years ago. I was a carrier as an adult, as well as working in the office.
I don’t know how it is nowadays with internet subscribers and interview viewers, but back then, the papers lived and died by the circulation numbers, because those numbers determined advertising rates.
When I was a carrier, there was always pressure to sign up new subscribers on our routes. And part of that was just what you describe, giving us extra papers to distribute.
While there were numbers tracked on the paid subscriptions, and then numbers tracked of giveaways, the grand total was the key number which management wanted to inflate, so as to inflate the ad rates.
As carriers, we were encouraged to keep delivering to non paying customers, as a certain number paid their subscription late or not at all. The non payment unfortunately came out of the carrier’s pockets. But, this technique helped keep circulation numbers up.