Print Circulation Drops at Major Newspapers

The NY Times reports:

Overall, average daily circulation for 770 newspapers was 2.8 percent lower in the six-month period ending Sept. 30 than in the comparable period last year, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported. Circulation for 619 Sunday papers fell by 3.4 percent.

But some papers fared much worse. The Los Angeles Times lost 8 percent of its daily circulation, and 6 percent on Sunday. The Boston Globe, owned by The New York Times Company, lost 6.7 percent of its daily circulation and almost 10 percent on Sunday.

The New York Times, one of the few major papers whose circulation held steady over the last few reporting periods, did not emerge unscathed this time: its daily and Sunday circulation each fell 3.5 percent. The Washington Post suffered similar declines.

The Wall Street Journal’s new Weekend Edition, just over a year old, lost 6.7 of its circulation from a year ago.

Circulation was up at the tabloid NY Post.

While there were several official explanations for the losses, including continuation of a decades-long trend, the Internet is the chief culprit. Consumers haven’t lost their interest in news content but have stopped subscribing to print newspapers in increasing numbers.

I too, who favor reading the NY Times in print, am contemplating canceling my Sunday only subscription, which was reduced from seven days. Why? Because I just don’t have time to go through the print paper anymore — even though it’s far superior to reading it online.

Online is about getting and consuming information efficiently. Print is more of what I’d call an “aesthetic experience.”