WASHINGTON (AFP) — Circulation dropped sharply at most major US newspapers in the six months ending in September, continuing a slide which has led to cutbacks in newsrooms across the United States, according to figures released Monday.
The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), citing preliminary figures, said circulation for 507 daily newspapers fell 4.64 percent in the period to 38.16 million copies from 40.02 million in the same period last year.
Sunday circulation for 571 newspapers fell by 4.85 percent during the period to 43.63 million from 45.85 million in the same period last year, according to figures submitted to the ABC by publishers and subject to audit.
The New York Times, The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times were among the major US newspapers whose circulation declined, while USA Today and The Wall Street Journal bucked the trend and posted marginal increases in readership.
US newspapers have been struggling in recent years with steady declines in circulation and a loss of readership and advertising to online media.
Two websites, LAObserved.com and MediaBistro.com, reported Monday that Los Angeles Times editor Ross Stanton had announced plans to cut editorial staff at the paper by about 10 percent because of the "growing economic downturn."
"I deeply regret to report that today, 75 of our friends, colleagues and capable staff members in Editorial will be told that they are losing their jobs," the websites quoted Stanton as saying in an internal memo on Monday.
Among the 10 US newspapers with the highest daily circulation, USA Today posted a 0.01 percent rise during the six months to September to 2,293,310 while the Wall Street Journal gained 0.01 percent to 2,011,999, the ABC said.
The New York Times saw its circulation fall by 3.58 percent to 1,000,665 while the Los Angeles Times lost 5.20 percent to 739,147.
The New York Daily News lost 7.16 percent to 632,595 while the New York Post shed 6.25 percent to 625,421.
The Washington Post lost 1.94 percent to 622,714 while the Chicago Tribune was down 7.75 percent at 516,032.
The Houston Chronicle shed 11.66 percent to 448,271 and Newsday lost 2.58 percent to 377,517.
Newspaper trade journal Editor & Publisher reported meanwhile that in a bid to cut costs several major dailies in the northeastern United States had met recently to discuss forming a content-sharing agreement to replace their deals with the Associated Press (AP), the US newspaper cooperative.
It identified the papers as the New York Daily News, Newsday, The Buffalo News, the Times-Union of Albany, New York and the Star Ledger of Newark, New Jersey, and said they were discussing sharing stories and photographs.
The AP, facing a backlash from some members over new fees, announced last week that it was suspending a rate hike that would have affected about 10 percent of its member newspapers in 2009 and reviewing its pricing structure.
Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More »
