Newspapers around the world have seen a huge decline in paper subscriptions as internet websites, zines and web magazines began featuring news. Major locals including some of the top newspapers in the world struggle with declining subscribers, fewer readers and less profit.
Currently more Americans are finding news online than through newspapers, and about 27% of Americans are getting their news through mobile devices.
Many of those newspapers, including local newspapers, have begun making the switch to internet and digital media but many are also doing so slowly and either fighting the changes or not doing enough. Combined with the facts that newspapers don’t make nearly enough from digital adds and that other online websites are providing tough competition as a news source, many newspapers are facing rocky road and difficult transitions.
Experts suggest that newspapers aren’t dying but instead, will diminish in form within the next five years, and some might transfer to online only content.
Newspapers Depend On Jobs
Experts suggest that most newspapers will fail or succeed depending on the work available in an area. One such study indicated that while many newspapers were dropping in revenue, a small newspaper in a town with a sudden industrial boom increased by 20% with hiring ads and other content. This study suggests that papers should ride the times and expect profits when jobs boom.
Diversifying Adds Increased Revenues
One newspaper began focusing on its web newspaper and after diversifying web ads, increased profits by more than 50% for digital ads. Newspapers can take advantage of the internet to include diverse and targeted ads, sold to an audience that is deemed to respond to them, therefore increasing the revenue. Newspapers that diversify can target age groups, interests (sports, music, fashion, etc.), location and more.
Peace in The Newsroom
It could be said that many newspapers feature inner wars between their journalists, columnists and editors. In order to fully function in a digital environment, newspapers should work as a team, function together and create a sort of inner culture to include the digital environment.
The same study also warns newspapers away from shifting their focus too quickly. Newspapers make about 1/11th of the profit per digital ad as per paper ad meaning that it’s important to start slowly and build up a resource of online followers before fully making the switch or even thinking about cutting down on paper prints.
The most profitable venture for most newspapers is to work in both print and digital, seamlessly meshing the two together in order to cater to all types of consumers and readers. By offering digital news available on mobile and paper news delivered to the home, newspapers can join the digital age without sacrificing their highest revenue, print newspapers.
U.S. Newspapers by State
This is a list of the top 100 newspapers in the United States by daily circulation for the six month period ended March 31, 2012.[1] These figures are compiled by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
The following does not just include newspaper circulation – it also includes “electronic editions”.
Newspaper | City | State | Daily Circulation | Sunday Circulation | Owner | |
1 | The Wall Street Journal | New York | New York | 2,118,315 | 2,078,564 | (Dow Jones) News Corporation |
2 | USA Today | McLean | Virginia | 1,817,446 | Gannett Company | |
3 | The New York Times | New York | New York | 1,586,757 | 2,003,247 | The New York Times Company |
4 | Los Angeles Times | Los Angeles | California | 605,243 | 948,889 | Tribune Company |
5 | San Jose Mercury News | San Jose | California | 575,786 | 690,258 | MediaNews Group |
6 | The Washington Post | Washington | District of Columbia | 507,615 | 719,301 | The Washington Post Company |
7 | Daily News | New York | New York | 530,924 | 584,658 | Daily News, L.P. |
8 | New York Post | New York | New York | 555,327 | 434,392 | News Corporation |
9 | Chicago Tribune | Chicago | Illinois | 414,590 | 779,440 | Tribune Company |
10 | Chicago Sun-Times | Chicago | Illinois | 422,335 | 434,861 | Sun-Times Media Group |
11 | The Dallas Morning News | Dallas | Texas | 405,349 | 702,848 | A. H. Belo Corporation |
12 | Houston Chronicle | Houston | Texas | 384,007 | 916,934 | Hearst Corporation |
13 | Philadelphia Inquirer | Philadelphia | Pennsylvania | 325,291 | 517,310 | Philadelphia Media Network |
14 | The Arizona Republic | Phoenix | Arizona | 321,600 | 538,579 | Gannett Company |
15 | The Denver Post | Denver | Colorado | 401,120 | 595,363 | MediaNews Group |
16 | Newsday | Long Island | New York | 298,759 | 362,221 | Cablevision |
17 | Star Tribune | Minneapolis | Minnesota | 296,605 | 516,134 | The Star Tribune Company |
18 | Tampa Bay Times | St. Petersburg | Florida | 292,441 | 429,048 | Times Publishing Company |
19 | The Oregonian | Portland | Oregon | 260,248 | 304,739 | Advance Publications |
20 | The Plain Dealer | Cleveland | Ohio | 254,372 | 403,001 | Advance Publications |
21 | The Seattle Times | Seattle | Washington | 253,742 | 346,991 | The Seattle Times Company |
22 | Detroit Free Press | Detroit | Michigan | 246,169 | 614,226 | Gannett Company |
23 | San Francisco Chronicle | San Francisco | California | 235,350 | 292,459 | Hearst Corporation |
24 | The Star-Ledger | Newark | New Jersey | 229,255 | 337,416 | Advance Publications |
25 | The Boston Globe | Boston | Massachusetts | 219,214 | 356,652 | The New York Times Company |
26 | The San Diego Union-Tribune | San Diego | California | 218,614 | 296,272 | U-T San Diego |
27 | The Sacramento Bee | Sacramento | California | 210,925 | 268,321 | The McClatchy Company |
28 | The Kansas City Star | Kansas City | Missouri | 209,258 | 305,113 | The McClatchy Company |
29 | St. Louis Post-Dispatch | St. Louis | Missouri | 196,232 | 360,450 | Lee Enterprises |
30 | The Sun | Baltimore | Maryland | 195,561 | 343,552 | Tribune Company |
31 | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | Milwaukee | Wisconsin | 194,436 | 333,999 | Journal Communications |
32 | St. Paul Pioneer Press | St. Paul | Minnesota | 193,549 | 254,590 | MediaNews Group |
33 | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review | Greensburg | Pennsylvania | 190,625 | 205,048 | Tribune-Review Publishing Co. |
34 | Orlando Sentinel | Orlando | Florida | 187,841 | 287,845 | Tribune Company |
35 | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | Pittsburgh | Pennsylvania | 187,237 | 307,932 | Block Communications |
36 | The Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Dunwoody | Georgia | 183,415 | 391,815 | Cox Enterprises |
37 | The Orange County Register | Santa Ana | California | 182,964 | 287,660 | Freedom Communications |
38 | Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | Little Rock | Arkansas | 182,463 | 260,813 | WEHCO Media |
39 | The Indianapolis Star | Indianapolis | Indiana | 176,232 | 272,798 | Gannett Company |
40 | South Florida Sun-Sentinel | Fort Lauderdale | Florida | 174,641 | 253,247 | Tribune Company |
41 | The Miami Herald | Miami | Florida | 173,555 | 217,163 | The McClatchy Company |
42 | Las Vegas Review-Journal | Las Vegas | Nevada | 166,182 | 190,308 | Stephens Media |
43 | The Tampa Tribune | Tampa | Florida | 164,568 | 262,218 | Media General |
44 | The Cincinnati Enquirer | Cincinnati | Ohio | 161,858 | 282,670 | Gannett Company |
45 | The Record | Hackensack | New Jersey | 156,425 | 175,905 | North Jersey Media Group |
46 | The Charlotte Observer | Charlotte | North Carolina | 155,497 | 212,318 | The McClatchy Company |
47 | The Buffalo News | Buffalo | New York | 154,748 | 235,227 | Berkshire Hathaway |
48 | The Virginian-Pilot | Norfolk | Virginia | 152,198 | 172,112 | Landmark Media Enterprises |
49 | The Courier-Journal | Louisville | Kentucky | 151,918 | 229,755 | Gannett Company |
50 | Fort Worth Star-Telegram | Fort Worth | Texas | 151,753 | 234,091 | The McClatchy Company |
51 | The Oklahoman | Oklahoma City | Oklahoma | 143,803 | 201,875 | The Anschutz Corporation |
52 | The Columbus Dispatch | Columbus | Ohio | 142,786 | 266,488 | Dispatch Printing Company |
53 | Omaha World-Herald | Omaha | Nebraska | 142,283 | 173,928 | Berkshire Hathaway |
54 | The Detroit News | Detroit | Michigan | 141,668 | MediaNews Group | |
55 | The Times-Picayune | New Orleans | Louisiana | 141,092 | 158,840 | Advance Publications |
56 | Austin American-Statesman | Austin | Texas | 137,681 | 193,761 | Cox Enterprises |
57 | The Hartford Courant | Hartford | Connecticut | 135,283 | 197,406 | Tribune Company |
58 | The Commercial Appeal | Memphis | Tennessee | 134,562 | 167,399 | E. W. Scripps Company |
59 | The News & Observer | Raleigh | North Carolina | 134,470 | 190,514 | The McClatchy Company |
60 | San Antonio Express-News | San Antonio | Texas | 133,480 | 254,969 | Hearst Corporation |
61 | The Tennessean | Nashville | Tennessee | 128,400 | 222,714 | Gannett Company |
62 | Investor’s Business Daily | Los Angeles | California | 127,545 | Investor’s Business Daily | |
63 | Boston Herald | Boston | Massachusetts | 123,811 | 87,296 | Herald Media |
64 | The Press-Enterprise | Riverside | California | 121,825 | 134,417 | A. H. Belo Corporation |
65 | Democrat and Chronicle | Rochester | New York | 120,037 | 175,146 | Gannett Company |
66 | The Blade | Toledo | Ohio | 119,204 | 150,604 | Block Communications |
67 | Honolulu Star-Advertiser | Honolulu | Hawaii | 119,186 | 132,281 | Black Press |
68 | The Palm Beach Post | West Palm Beach | Florida | 117,149 | 143,832 | Cox Enterprises |
69 | Richmond Times-Dispatch | Richmond | Virginia | 115,431 | 167,171 | Berkshire Hathaway |
70 | Fresno Bee | Fresno | California | 115,242 | 141,759 | The McClatchy Company |
71 | The Salt Lake Tribune | Salt Lake City | Utah | 113,032 | 126,525 | MediaNews Group |
72 | The Birmingham News | Birmingham | Alabama | 112,211 | 153,024 | Advance Publications |
73 | The Des Moines Register | Des Moines | Iowa | 108,247 | 211,880 | Gannett Company |
74 | The Florida Times-Union | Jacksonville | Florida | 107,921 | 159,216 | Morris Publishing Group |
75 | Asbury Park Press | Neptune City | New Jersey | 107,443 | 157,154 | Gannett Company |
76 | Arizona Daily Star | Tucson | Arizona | 106,057 | 160,496 | Lee Enterprises |
77 | The Morning Call | Allentown | Pennsylvania | 106,021 | 122,009 | Tribune Company |
78 | Daily Herald | Arlington Heights | Illinois | 104,053 | 110,824 | Paddock Publications |
79 | La Opinión | Los Angeles | California | 100,336 | 40,423 | ImpreMedia |
80 | Knoxville News Sentinel | Knoxville | Tennessee | 98,381 | 124,225 | E. W. Scripps Company |
81 | Lexington Herald-Leader | Lexington | Kentucky | 96,171 | 112,793 | The McClatchy Company |
82 | Akron Beacon Journal | Akron | Ohio | 94,811 | 124,841 | Black Press |
83 | Grand Rapids Press | Grand Rapids | Michigan | 94,746 | 151,697 | Advance Publications |
84 | Dayton Daily News | Dayton | Ohio | 94,709 | 141,692 | Cox Enterprises |
85 | Los Angeles Daily News | Los Angeles | California | 94,192 | 100,065 | MediaNews Group |
86 | The Providence Journal | Providence | Rhode Island | 91,804 | 130,659 | A. H. Belo Corporation |
87 | Tulsa World | Tulsa | Oklahoma | 90,499 | 130,805 | World Publishing Company |
88 | Albuquerque Journal | Albuquerque | New Mexico | 90,471 | 115,558 | Journal Publishing Company |
89 | The Post and Courier | Charleston | South Carolina | 89,224 | 95,379 | Evening Post Publishing Company |
90 | The News Journal | Wilmington | Delaware | 88,083 | 126,194 | Gannett Company |
91 | Wisconsin State Journal | Madison | Wisconsin | 87,629 | 119,382 | Lee Enterprises |
92 | Press-Register | Mobile | Alabama | 103,300 | 87,518 | Advance Publications |
93 | The Times of Northwest Indiana | Munster | Indiana | 85,405 | 92,984 | Lee Enterprises |
94 | The Post-Standard | Syracuse | New York | 84,479 | 140,225 | Advance Publications |
95 | The Roanoke Times | Roanoke | Virginia | 83,447 | 90,069 | Landmark Media Enterprises |
96 | The News Tribune | Tacoma | Washington | 83,199 | 97,812 | The McClatchy Company |
97 | Sarasota Herald-Tribune | Sarasota | Florida | 83,085 | 106,127 | Halifax Media Group |
98 | Telegram & Gazette | Worcester | Massachusetts | 82,761 | The New York Times Company | |
99 | The Advocate | Baton Rouge | Louisiana | 82,695 | 104,215 | Capital City Press |
100 | Press-Telegram | Long Beach | California | 80,947 | 68,626 | MediaNews Group |
See also