US and UK: Local papers circulation numbers on the rise
Posted by Allie Judson on November 10, 2006 at 10:06 AM
As many national newspaper circulation numbers continue to drop, media watchers have been touting the advantages of local newspaper coverage. Recent examples from the US and the UK demonstrate that the trend towards local is not all hot air.
In the recently released numbers from the US Audit Bureau of Circulations, local newspapers showed small gains, suggesting that community focused papers are doing something right.
Some rises are attributed to population booms. For example, Flagstaff Arizona has had a big population increase in the last five years and the local paper the Flagstaff Sun has benefited with an increase of 1.3% in the last six months.
However, the last audit was not peaches and cream for all local papers. Smaller dailies in more metropolitan areas are losing circ in the same way their bigger city sisters are due mostly to the higher concentration of Internet in larger cities.
In the UK local papers are experiencing success with multimedia integration. Regional group Johnston Press’ flagship paper the Lancashire Evening Post has been experimenting for 7 months with a fully integrated newsroom including enhanced video feeds and images. Since the test started, the paper’s website traffic has exploded four-fold which in turn has contributed to an increase in the print product’s circulation. Johnston is so happy with LEP’s results that it is seriously considering implementing similar projects across its entire group.
Source:Media Daily News, Press Gazette
Some rises are attributed to population booms. For example, Flagstaff Arizona has had a big population increase in the last five years and the local paper the Flagstaff Sun has benefited with an increase of 1.3% in the last six months.
However, the last audit was not peaches and cream for all local papers. Smaller dailies in more metropolitan areas are losing circ in the same way their bigger city sisters are due mostly to the higher concentration of Internet in larger cities.
In the UK local papers are experiencing success with multimedia integration. Regional group Johnston Press’ flagship paper the Lancashire Evening Post has been experimenting for 7 months with a fully integrated newsroom including enhanced video feeds and images. Since the test started, the paper’s website traffic has exploded four-fold which in turn has contributed to an increase in the print product’s circulation. Johnston is so happy with LEP’s results that it is seriously considering implementing similar projects across its entire group.
Source:Media Daily News, Press Gazette
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I don't see any link to, and certainly haven't heard, any suggestions that local newspaper circulation in the UK is on the rise and, without any links to information to the contrary, I reckon that the headline on this post is a bit misleading:
"US and UK: Local papers circulation numbers on the rise"