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Today AAM released its semiannual newspaper Snapshot report (formerly known as FAS-FAX), which covers top-line circulation and audience figures from October 2012 through March 2013. Data for approximately 700 U.S. and Canadian newspapers is available via AAM’s database, the Media Intelligence Center.
Key Statistics
Daily circulation for the 593 U.S. newspapers reporting comparable averages for the March 2013 and March 2012 periods decreased 0.7 percent. Sunday circulation for the 519 newspapers reporting comparable data was down 1.4 percent.
Newspapers may include digital editions — tablet or smartphone apps, PDF replicas, metered or restricted-access websites, or e-reader editions — in their total circulation. Digital editions now account for 19.3 percent of U.S. daily newspapers’ total average circulation, up from 14.2 percent in March 2012.
Branded editions, which are newspaper-owned products such as commuter, community, alternative-language or Sunday-Select type newspapers, may also be included in total circulation. Branded editions account for 5.1 percent of U.S. newspapers’ total average circulation, up from 4.5 percent in March 2012.
Changes to Comparative Data
Since the adoption of current reporting standards in 2010, publishers have modified their subscription types, incorporated branded editions and embraced digital platforms in lieu of print distribution on certain week days. Due to the many ways that newspapers now distribute and market their content -- including year-over-year changes at individual papers -- AAM cautions against drawing too many direct comparisons of the data in the Snapshot report.
In March, the AAM board granted an exception to allow a group of newspapers to exclude reporting a five-day average in this Snapshot file due to a reduction in their print distribution frequency. These newspapers are noted in the report with this message:
Due to print frequency reduction, per the AAM board, title is exempt from 5 day average. As a result, only comparative data is shown for Sunday (if applicable).
The AAM board recently considered these trends and gave initial approval to eliminate the five-day average requirement. If this is given final approval in July, five-day averages will be optional for the next newspaper Snapshot report in the fall. The Snapshot report will continue to show circulation metrics for each day newspapers with circulation over 50,000 are published in print or digital.
Top 25 Lists
Below are a few charts pulled from the report: the top 25 Sunday and weekday U.S. newspapers by circulation and the top 25 U.S. newspapers with digital editions.
You can also review historical charts here.
Average Circulation at the Top 25 U.S. Daily Newspapers |
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Preliminary figures filed with AAM. Subject to audit. |
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Newspaper Name |
Total Digital |
Total Average Circulation Excluding Branded |
Total Branded Editions Print & Digital |
Total Average Circulation |
Percent Change |
|||
As of 03/31/13 |
As of 03/31/12 |
|||||||
WALL STREET JOURNAL |
1,480,725 |
898,102 |
2,378,827 |
2,378,827 |
2,118,315 |
12.3% |
||
NEW YORK TIMES |
731,395 |
1,133,923 |
1,865,318 |
1,865,318 |
1,586,757 |
17.6% |
||
USA TODAY |
1,424,406 |
249,900 |
1,674,306 |
1,674,306 |
1,817,446 |
-7.9% |
||
LOS ANGELES TIMES |
432,873 |
177,720 |
610,593 |
43,275 |
653,868 |
616,575 |
6.0% |
|
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |
360,459 |
155,706 |
516,165 |
516,165 |
579,636 |
-11.0% |
||
NEW YORK POST |
299,950 |
200,571 |
500,521 |
500,521 |
555,327 |
-9.9% |
||
WASHINGTON POST |
431,149 |
42,313 |
473,462 |
1,305 |
474,767 |
507,615 |
-6.5% |
|
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES |
184,801 |
77,660 |
262,461 |
208,087 |
470,548 |
421,780 |
11.6% |
|
DENVER POST |
213,830 |
192,805 |
406,635 |
10,041 |
416,676 |
401,120 |
3.9% |
|
CHICAGO TRIBUNE |
368,145 |
46,785 |
414,930 |
414,930 |
414,590 |
0.1% |
||
DALLAS MORNING NEWS |
190,613 |
65,912 |
256,525 |
152,740 |
409,265 |
405,349 |
1.0% |
|
NEWSDAY |
265,782 |
111,962 |
377,744 |
377,744 |
397,973 |
-5.1% |
||
HOUSTON CHRONICLE |
231,233 |
102,341 |
333,574 |
26,677 |
360,251 |
346,129 |
4.1% |
|
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER |
159,411 |
15,466 |
174,877 |
181,288 |
356,165 |
280,812 |
26.8% |
|
NEWARK STAR-LEDGER |
180,271 |
160,507 |
340,778 |
340,778 |
278,940 |
22.2% |
||
TAMPA BAY TIMES |
241,020 |
17,099 |
258,119 |
82,141 |
340,260 |
299,497 |
13.6% |
|
CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER |
216,122 |
95,483 |
311,605 |
311,605 |
286,405 |
8.8% |
||
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER |
184,827 |
67,958 |
252,785 |
54,046 |
306,831 |
325,289 |
-5.7% |
|
MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE |
227,694 |
73,651 |
301,345 |
301,345 |
300,330 |
0.3% |
||
ARIZONA REPUBLIC |
285,927 |
7,048 |
292,975 |
665 |
293,640 |
321,600 |
-8.7% |
|
HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER |
125,726 |
68,993 |
194,719 |
73,525 |
268,244 |
209,915 |
27.8% |
|
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL |
126,293 |
15,996 |
142,289 |
109,758 |
252,047 |
259,247 |
-2.8% |
|
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE |
192,782 |
21,569 |
214,351 |
36,327 |
250,678 |
230,578 |
8.7% |
|
BOSTON GLOBE |
172,048 |
73,524 |
245,572 |
245,572 |
225,482 |
8.9% |
||
ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION |
149,523 |
6,704 |
156,227 |
74,867 |
231,094 |
174,251 |
32.6% |
*This list is based on combined daily average circulation. San Jose Mercury News is no longer included due to reduction in print frequency and elimination of its five-day average, as noted above.
Average Circulation at the Top 25 U.S. Sunday Newspapers |
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Preliminary figures filed with AAM. Subject to audit. |
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Newspaper Name |
Total Digital |
Total Average Circulation Excluding Branded |
Total Branded Editions Print & Digital |
Total Average Circulation |
Percent Change |
|||
As of 03/31/13 |
As of 03/31/12 |
|||||||
NEW YORK TIMES |
1,254,506 |
1,067,923 |
2,322,429 |
2,322,429 |
2,003,247 |
15.9% |
||
HOUSTON CHRONICLE |
412,329 |
90,369 |
502,698 |
539,691 |
1,042,389 |
1,106,379 |
-5.8% |
|
LOS ANGELES TIMES |
775,641 |
178,369 |
954,010 |
954,010 |
952,762 |
0.1% |
||
WASHINGTON POST |
639,966 |
31,135 |
671,101 |
166,913 |
838,014 |
719,301 |
16.5% |
|
CHICAGO TRIBUNE |
706,840 |
74,484 |
781,324 |
781,324 |
779,440 |
0.2% |
||
DETROIT FREE PRESS |
416,986 |
6,055 |
423,041 |
285,073 |
708,114 |
668,332 |
6.0% |
|
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS |
180,357 |
88,993 |
269,350 |
433,057 |
702,407 |
690,177 |
1.8% |
|
DALLAS MORNING NEWS |
293,383 |
66,164 |
359,547 |
338,170 |
697,717 |
702,848 |
-0.7% |
|
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |
431,519 |
156,386 |
587,905 |
56,974 |
644,879 |
658,696 |
-2.1% |
|
ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION |
342,744 |
7,231 |
349,975 |
294,312 |
644,287 |
402,602 |
60.0% |
|
DENVER POST |
363,655 |
165,612 |
529,267 |
97,608 |
626,875 |
595,361 |
5.3% |
|
MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE |
461,696 |
53,382 |
515,078 |
64,793 |
579,871 |
544,186 |
6.6% |
|
ARIZONA REPUBLIC |
450,471 |
5,247 |
455,718 |
86,556 |
542,274 |
538,579 |
0.7% |
|
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER |
362,752 |
95,413 |
458,165 |
19,148 |
477,313 |
517,311 |
-7.7% |
|
CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER |
301,806 |
97,065 |
398,871 |
59,967 |
458,838 |
440,968 |
4.1% |
|
NEWSDAY |
324,182 |
134,510 |
458,692 |
458,692 |
495,416 |
-7.4% |
||
NEWARK STAR-LEDGER |
288,431 |
143,609 |
432,040 |
432,040 |
413,472 |
4.5% |
||
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE |
290,115 |
20,099 |
310,214 |
99,582 |
409,796 |
364,454 |
12.4% |
|
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES |
180,519 |
74,784 |
255,303 |
150,791 |
406,094 |
434,572 |
-6.6% |
|
TAMPA BAY TIMES |
383,693 |
18,729 |
402,422 |
402,422 |
432,202 |
-6.9% |
||
BOSTON GLOBE |
309,771 |
72,681 |
382,452 |
382,452 |
365,512 |
4.6% |
||
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER |
285,794 |
9,883 |
295,677 |
80,997 |
376,674 |
385,283 |
-2.2% |
|
SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS |
230,628 |
14,634 |
245,262 |
111,139 |
356,401 |
353,572 |
0.8% |
|
NEW YOK POST |
249,567 |
104,333 |
353,900 |
353,900 |
434,392 |
-18.5% |
||
SEATTLE TIMES |
276,274 |
45,089 |
321,363 |
15,000 |
336,363 |
346,589 |
-3.0% |
Top 25 U.S. Daily Newspaper Digital Editions |
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Preliminary figures filed with AAM. Subject to audit. |
||||
Newspaper Name |
Digital Replica |
Digital Nonreplica |
Total Digital |
Total Average Circulation as of 03/31/13 |
NEW YORK TIMES |
36,456 |
1,097,467 |
1,133,923 |
1,865,318 |
WALL STREET JOURNAL |
898,102 |
898,102 |
2,378,827 |
|
USA TODAY |
121,368 |
128,532 |
249,900 |
1,674,306 |
NEW YORK POST |
1,559 |
199,012 |
200,571 |
500,521 |
DENVER POST |
51,927 |
140,878 |
192,805 |
416,676 |
LOS ANGELES TIMES |
36,802 |
140,918 |
177,720 |
653,868 |
NEWARK STAR-LEDGER |
23,419 |
137,088 |
160,507 |
340,778 |
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS |
26,626 |
129,080 |
155,706 |
516,165 |
NEWSDAY |
111,962 |
111,962 |
377,744 |
|
HOUSTON CHRONICLE |
79,395 |
22,946 |
102,341 |
360,251 |
LOS ANGELES INVESTORS BUSINESS DAILY |
45,288 |
51,418 |
96,706 |
157,161 |
CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER |
15,424 |
80,059 |
95,483 |
311,605 |
ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS |
66,499 |
17,601 |
84,100 |
208,280 |
DETROIT FREE PRESS |
81,511 |
1,786 |
83,297 |
209,652 |
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES |
28,798 |
48,862 |
77,660 |
470,548 |
MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE |
49,593 |
24,058 |
73,651 |
301,345 |
BOSTON GLOBE |
13,390 |
60,134 |
73,524 |
245,572 |
HONOLULU STAR-ADVERTISER |
16,149 |
52,844 |
68,993 |
268,244 |
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER |
41,803 |
26,155 |
67,958 |
306,831 |
DALLAS MORNING NEWS |
65,912 |
65,912 |
409,265 |
|
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE |
33,672 |
27,698 |
61,370 |
218,987 |
SALT LAKE CITY DESERET NEWS |
11,995 |
44,760 |
56,755 |
103,190 |
RIVERSIDE CO. PRESS-ENTERPRISE |
36,556 |
13,250 |
49,806 |
137,581 |
CHICAGO TRIBUNE |
20,541 |
26,244 |
46,785 |
414,930 |
MIAMI HERALD |
42,150 |
3,949 |
46,099 |
147,130 |
Accessing the Report
The full Snapshot report containing data on approximately 700 U.S. and Canadian newspapers is available in AAM’s Media Intelligence Center. AAM members will need their user name and password to access the report. This blog contains step-by-step directions for accessing the report in AAM’s new database.
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