Newspaper Circulations: WSJ, NY Post show big gains, NYT flat, Wash. Post declines

Wall Street Journal | May 4, 2004 | nwrep

[nwrep]

The largest newspapers in the U.S. generally had modest circulation gains in the latest six months, but the figures overall were flat, according to figures released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

In the industry's semiannual circulation report, Gannett Co.'s USA Today remained the nation's top-selling newspaper and saw its average daily circulation for the six months ended March 31 rise 1.4% to 2,280,761. A spokesman said the paper benefited from a stronger economy, with more people traveling to both business and leisure destinations. Travelers are key readers for USA Today.

The Wall Street Journal, published by Dow Jones & Co., remained in the second spot. The newspaper had a 15% gain in circulation, with average daily circulation rising to 2,101,017, including some online subscribers allowed to be counted under ABC rules, compared with 1,820,600 in the year-earlier period, when online subscribers weren't allowed to be included.

Average weekday circulation for the print edition stayed "essentially flat," at 1,805,855, according to a spokeswoman. The Wall Street Journal Online counts 695,000 paying subscribers world-wide, the majority of which are subscribers only to the online edition of the paper. Of that number, the Journal was allowed to include 295,162 in its circulation statement based on ABC rules governing what price level of subscriptions can count as paid circulation.

News Corp.'s New York Post continued to see big gains. The Post registered a 9.34% jump in average weekday circulation to 678,012.

New York Times Co.'s flagship paper, the New York Times, lodged a 0.27% gain in average weekly circulation to 1,133,763. Circulation at the New York Daily News was up 1.36% to 747,053.

Overall, the industry posted generally anemic circulation results, according to a Newspaper Association of America analysis of the ABC numbers. Average daily circulation for the 836 reporting newspapers fell 0.1% to 50,827,454 for the six-month period, compared with the year-earlier period. Average Sunday circulation for the 659 newspapers reporting fell 0.9% to 55,075,444.

"Overall, this was not a terribly bad period," said NAA Chief Executive John F. Sturm. He said the industry was down, overall, "by just the slightest amount."

The steepest decline among the 10 largest papers came at Washington Post Co.'s Washington Post, where average daily circulation fell 2.99% to 772,553. A spokesman for the Washington Post couldn't be reached to comment.

At 4 p.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading, Gannett shares were off 53 cents at $86.15, Dow Jones was up $1.08 at $47.17, News Corp. American depositary receipts were up five cents at $36.61, New York Times shares were down 23 cents at $45.58, and Washington Post was up $10.50 at $930.50.

[nwrep]

See full report posted above.

[Agamemnon]

I am called periodically by the Danbury (CT) News Times and asked to begin a subscription with them. Mid-way into the pitch I tell the caller that I would never subcribe to their paper.

The caller is always somewhat suprised by this unwavering statement and invariably asks me why this is the case. I say it's quite simple, really. I would never buy a paper whose editorial boards endorsed the Presidential candidacies of Clinton in '92, Clinton in '96 and Gore in 2000. I hold a grudge and do all in my power to disuade anyone from subscribing to the Danbury News Times. I tell them that they can take that back to their editorial board.

The interesting things is, by the time I'm done with their call, most of the telephone solicitors admit that I have a point. I reply by telling them that if that is the case they ought to go out and find a new job.

[GraceCoolidge]

I know the feeling... I had gotten the Washington Post just to get some daily news... then I was able to persuade the Washington Times to extend home delivery to my house (I think I'm on the outermost fringes of their delivery area, just starting up where I live). Anyway, I was gleeful when I got to call to cancel the Post subscription... especially as they'd just run this absolutely loathsome multipart "analysis" of John Kerry and his campaign... so when they went into their "why cancel" spiel, I could tell them that I was sick of their liberal bias and their fraudulently packaged "news" Valentine to John Kerry was the last straw.

[mvonfr]

Thanks a lot!

[BJClinton]

The Limbaugh letter is rather fair and balanced.</sarcasm>

Seriously, the Dallas Morning news is good. They still have to use AP wire reports, though.

[TBarnett34]

I'll never buy another issue of the AJC (Al-Jazeera Constitution). Cynthia Tucker is a disgrace. Good call.

[TBarnett34]

The Limbaugh Letter isn't news; Rush is a self-proclaimed entertainer.

[BJClinton]

Hence the "sarcasm tag".

[cyncooper]

The steepest decline among the 10 largest papers came at Washington Post Co.'s Washington Post, where average daily circulation fell 2.99%

I am so pleased with this news. Their reporters are just outright disgraceful.

The fact that MSNBC in particular is very closely affiliated with the WaPo tells it all.

Wannabe propagandists who still try to maintain an aura of respectability. The readers are seeing through it.

[TBarnett34]

The "sarcasm tag" could have possessed double entendre. I had to take a wild guess.

[CFC__VRWC]

The Florida Times-Union (Jacksonville) has a consistently right-wing op-ed page and balanced coverage.

The Times-Union is probably the best newspaper in the state - when I was attending UF, I read it religiously, and almost never bothered to pick up the local Gainesville Sun, which is a NYT-owned rag. Enough said there, I'd say. The only reason I even glanced at the Sun was for the Gators coverage on the sports pages.

Unfortunately, the paper where I now live is yet another NYT-owned POS - the Lakeland Ledger. It always had a leftist tilt, but recently it has gone way off the leftist deep end. Its editors and readers (at least the ones whose letters they print) have been blinded by their seething hatred of George and Jeb Bush. The fact that the majority of people in Polk County are solidly conservative just makes them crazy with rage.

[DallasMike]

Seriously, the Dallas Morning news is good. They still have to use AP wire reports, though.

I nearly came unglued when I saw your post. Upon reflection, I agreed that you're right -- the Dallas Morning News can be good when they do their own reporting. However, they so often have their reporters tied up with fluff (like the recent article about what Trish Hinojosa would do if she were president) and depend on junky AP wire reports. The news editors are also keen on filtering the news so that only politically correct stories get published.

I had a big running battle with news editor Tim Connolly several weeks back after they refused to publish anything about Jordan thwarting a terrorist attack. I happen to know several Americans in close connection with the Jordanian government and they were believers. The guy's e-mail address is TConnolly@dallasnews.com. Feel free, folks, to pick up where I left off. Here are several of our e-mail exchanges:

-------------

Dear Mr. XXXXXXXX,

 

I do believe that Jordanian authorities uncovered and thwarted a significant plot, but this report from AP strikes me as both unclear and possibly misleading. A "chemical bomb" that could kill 20,000 people AND destroy buildings over a mile radius? That doesn't sound like any weapon we're familiar with, except maybe a nuclear bomb. In an interview last week with the San Francisco Chronicle, King Abdullah described a plot to attack the prime minister's residence and other buildings with trucks loaded with explosives. That does sound like a plausible plot, and the source of the information is named and credible, unlike the source in the AP story. If we get a clear and credible description of this plot, we'll put it in the paper.

 

Tim Connolly

International Editor

 

 

------------

 

 

Thank you very much for your kind note, Mr. Connolly.

 

My first thought is that I’m not surprised when an AP report is “unclear and misleading.” The words AP, unclear, and misleading are often found together, or at least they ought to be. The best thing I can say about AP is that they’re not Reuters. And the best thing about Reuters is that they aren’t AFP.

 

My second thought (my degrees are in chemistry and chemical engineering) is that standard bombs are usually used to disperse chemicals. The old mustard gas mortars from WWI were simply regular mortars that, when exploded, released the mustard gas. Of course, a nuclear bomb is definitely possible and it might take one to level that much area. It’s just my guess though (and probably yours, too) that the half-mile radius is an exaggeration or a mis-translation.

 

My final thought is that this calls for the DMN to do some research rather than wait for a “clear and credible description of [the] plot” to land on the desktop. That’ll never happen if you’re depending on AP or the other news agencies. The DMN often prints news with partial information and includes the appropriate caveats. You should do the same in this case.

 

I’m glad that you’re familiar with the story from the San Francisco Chronicle – here’s a collection of recent articles from a variety of other sources as well as Jordanian and US Embassy contacts. Certainly these ought to allow you to piece something together. Shoot, if nothing else, call the SFC and see if they’ll let you can mine their sources. This is a big story, if true.

 

Jordan’s Prime Minister’s office (ask to speak to Asma Khadr)

            Phone:  962-6-464-1211

Fax:      962-6-569-5541

 

Jordan’s Ministry of Information

Office of the Minister
P.O. Box 9903
Amman 11191, Jordan
Phone:  962-6-585-1305
Fax:      962-6-585-1305
minister@moict.gov.jo
 

US Embassy -- Jordan [provided list of contacts here -- DallasMike]

American Embassy 

P.O. Box 354, Amman 11118 Jordan. 
Phone:  962-6-590-6000 
Fax:      962-6-592-0121

 

Your counterparts at the Jordan Press Association

BBC – Saturday, April 10^th, 23:05 GMT

AFP – Tuesday, April 13^th, 4:18 PM

BBC – Wednesday, April 14^th, 0:10 GMT

CNN – Wednesday, April 14^th, 6:07 GMT

Google cache of Aljazeera story – April 14^th

ABC News – Wednesday, April 14^th, 6:20 AM

Reuters – Sunday, April 18^th, 12:46 AM

AP – Tuesday, April 20^th, 3:55 PM

AFP – Tuesday, April 20^th, 6:14 PM

 

-Michael XXXXXXXX

 Garland, Texas

 

 

------------

 

 

Dear Mr. Connolly,

 

Even CNN is now covering the story of how Jordan thwarted a “chemical and poison gas” WMD attack instigated by an Al Qaeda operative in Iraq. According to the Jordanian government, the attack would have killed approximately 80,000 people. Ha’aretz is reporting with a little more detail the confessions of the terrorists, which were broadcast a couple of hours or so in Jordan. It looks like Jordan’s GID did their usual thorough work.

 

This is a big story that the DMN missed when it first had a chance to report it. The domestic angle to this it that it appears that Iraq or terrorists supported by Iraq really did have the capacity to control the deployment of WMDs, regardless of whether the WMDs were physically located in the country.

 

Here’s a portion of a response I received the other day from [an American with high contacts in the Jordanian government] after I sent them the same information and links that I sent you. [Following is part of the response of the American]

 

“Hey those were great articles. I did enjoy reading them. It probably is about time that the story gets out.”

 

[Deleted material to protect identities -- DallasMike]

 

I hope that the DMN will now take the opportunity that it missed over the past several weeks and give this story the front-page attention that it deserves. Truthfully, it bothers me quite a bit that the DMN ignored this major story even after I sent you news links as well as phone, fax, and e-mail addresses of knowledgeable people in the US Embassy, the Jordanian government, and the Jordanian news media. What more could you have needed?

 

The notion that the DMN was waiting for better information just doesn’t fly – I provided you what now appears to be a good analysis of what was going on and it would have been a simple matter to confirm what I told you or to dig for additional information. The only reason that I can think for not having published this story so far is that DMN has too much capital invested in the notion that WMDs in Iraq never existed.

 

Best regards,

 

-Michael XXXXXXX

 Garland, Texas

 

 

------------

 

Other exchanges follow. The long and the short is that the Dallas Morning News is looking for any excuse not to print the story.

 

------------

 

 

Dear Mr. McCullough,

 

Thanks again for the info. I thought the CNN report was illuminating, in that it seemed to indicate there was no consensus among intelligence people exactly what kind of attack was envisioned. ABC is now reporting skepticism within Jordan on the government's claims that a major plot was thwarted. I personally believe, based in part on the information that you have shared, that a major attack was plotted, but I remain skeptical of these numbers being thrown around. The plotters may have said they wanted to kill 80,000, but there is little indication--in my mind--that they knew how to do that. They are terrorists, and it serves their purpose to have people fearful of them and their projected capabilities. I think it also serves the purposes of the Jordanian government to have their people believe that a major attack was thwarted. That doesn't mean one wasn't thwarted, but I find the skepticism within Jordan interesting. So why don't we pursue this story ourselves more vigorously? Because this is one of many plots or reported plots, and we have limited staff and resources. I'm not convinced this plot is one that demands our attention more than several others. I don't think the connection to Iraq--at least to the Hussein government and WMD--is clear at all. Be that as it may, we will continue to monitor the reports, and we do appreciate your input.

 

Regards,

Tim Connolly

[Ships of Wood, Men of Iron]

The reduction of the liberal-bias media is always good news, :-) :-) :-)

This news is even better than they want to say: "Overall, this was not a terribly bad period," said NAA Chief Executive John F. Sturm. He said the industry was down, overall, "by just the slightest amount."

since: including some online subscribers allowed to be counted under ABC rules [for the first time].

So, if the 'new' 300K Wall St J. online subscribers are factored out, the fall in daily circulation is more like 0.7%, similar to the fall in Sunday circulation. Any media losing 1% to 2% of its audience per year is in trouble, ..... break my heart :-)

[Rodney King]

The NY Post is a good paper.

[TASMANIANRED]

I threw in the towel on the local COMMUNIST RAG during welfare reform. I had had a belly full and that was the literal straw that broke the camels back.

I have had many sales calls over the years from the paper with special deals trying to get me to resubscribe. I tell them flat up. I will not allow the Communist Rag in my home. It generally makes them sputter and their pitch about the savings on grocery adds is rendered useless. I have not asked them to put me on the do not call list because I enjoy telling a representative what drivel it is.

Since I worked 3-11 or night sift for the past 22 years, I haven't seen any of the big 3 networks in all that time. I have not suffered one whit by missing their prime time garbage, or the propaganda that passes for news. I will not allow the big 3 stations to be played in my home.

[BJClinton]

Fascinating. I should clarify, compared to the Austin-American Stateman the DMN is pretty good.

[middie]

A few observations: While USA Today is a good paper to summarize the day's news, I have observed that all major hotels purchase them by the stack and distribute them to every room in the early AM. That may increase the numbers and readership, but it seems a little contived. The same is true with Wall Street Journal. And, one would need to be disingenuous to deny that the WSJ is decidedly anti-consumer.

The St. Pete Times is probably the best newspaper in Florida, with The Gainesville Sun a close second. The Tampa Tribune & Fla. Times-Union (Jax) are undoubtedly on the Right end of the political spectrum.

Boring as it may be, that's the way it is in the Sunshine State.

[Chgogal]

I canceled my family's subscription last August after their "Incredible Shrinking President" article. Boy, did the editors hear from me. The ads are just not worth it. They just sent me a subscription letter. I mailed an empty envelope back. Anything to hurt the Trib.

[stands2reason]

The DMN is pretty balanced (From what I recall -- it's been a couple of years) , but they did have an overabundance of the "poor little Latina" type stories, you know, how evil villain of the day has made single mother Amelia Martinez's miserable life even worse --- with the accompanying photo showing Amelia and her many many small children staring unsmiling into the camera lens as if saying "You! I condemn you evil White Upper-Middle class people with your $350,000 homes with manicured lawns and your new Acuras every two years! It's your fault my life sucks!!!!" (/rant)

Still, it was the unavailability of the DMN that helped turn me from a moderate Texas Democrat into a full-fledged fire breathing conservative. After moving to Northern New Mexico, I found that I could only get DMN by mail (which was too pricy) so I started getting the Albuquerque Journal and the Santa Fe paper. Had I not gotten those papers, I would have never found out what real leftists were like.

I didn't last in NM very long. Less than a year later I was back in Texas.

[Bullish]

Bird cage liners.