Comments on: A Local Angle on the National Newspaper Circulation Numbers

By: Kevin Irwin

Kevin Irwin — Wed, 10 May 2006 23:18:57 +0000

Good point. I still maintain that it’s not the politics. The Globe pales in comparison to NYT and SFC. Remember in 2004, Republicans in state congress actually lost seats.

By: TBlumer

TBlumer — Wed, 10 May 2006 22:21:49 +0000

#7, I think the question is whether that Boston Metro effort just started in the past 6 months or whether it has been around a while. If it has, that doesn’t explain the Globe’s most recent 6-month drop.

In fact the idea that the Enquirer’s subscriber base is now over half the Globe’s, considering the relative metro-area populations, is amazing.

By: Kevin Irwin

Kevin Irwin — Wed, 10 May 2006 02:27:19 +0000

Part of it has to do with free papers. The Boston Metro (owned by The Globe) is a free newspaper available at all of the commuter spots in the morning. On virtually every seat on the subway not occupied by an ass, you will find a Metro. That and the Boston Herald is given out for free in the afternoon.

In regards to the Enquirer, I can’t say. Maybe less technology savvy in the region? Maybe the enquirer’s site is sub-par. I can’t definitively say.

By: TBlumer

TBlumer — Wed, 10 May 2006 02:02:45 +0000

#4, that’s exactly right, and it’s a downward spiral that leads to the kinds of cutbacks that we’ve read about at LAT, WaPo, etc.

By: TBlumer

TBlumer — Wed, 10 May 2006 01:59:44 +0000

#3, I’ll take that to a point, but 8.5% in 6 months? one of of every 12 subscribers, gone? At that rate, they’ll have no need to print a newspaper in 6 years.

It also doesn’t explain why a paper like the Cincinnati Enquirer has bucked the trend.

By: CaptiousNut

CaptiousNut — Wed, 10 May 2006 01:42:23 +0000

The circulation woes of newpapers are widely known, but are seldom clarified.

When a paper loses circulation, it obviously loses subscription revenue, but the real whammy is that they have to lower ad rates.

By: Kevin Irwin

Kevin Irwin — Wed, 10 May 2006 00:53:29 +0000

Tom, I think this has more to do with internet readership than political bias. I canceled my subscription to the Boston Globe because of boston.com.

By: TBlumer

TBlumer — Tue, 09 May 2006 19:20:57 +0000

#1, I don’t think you’ll ever see Gannett break out numbers down to the Enquirer level in the financials — so unless they’re require to for some other reason, I don’t think we’ll ever know.

By: Anon

Anon — Tue, 09 May 2006 18:59:03 +0000

What about revenues…I would argue that circulation is up because they give the paper to every Tom (no offense), Dick & Harry who haven’t even subscribed. Every neighbor around us gets the daily Enquirer…none of us subscribe. Usually goes right into our trash can. Sad, but true.