Audit Bureau of Circulations
ABC has released circulation figures for the six-month period ending Sept. 30, 2011. This is the second reporting period in which ABC is counting circulation differently, so you can’t compare current figures to previous periods. The Wall Street Journal, USA Today and The New York Times top the list of top 25 daily newspapers. The San Jose Mercury News, Dallas Morning News and the Chicago Sun-Times all rank high due to the inclusion of “branded” copies — editions with a different nameplate and some distinct content. For digital editions, ABC also has distinguished between “replica” (identical to the printed paper) and “non-replica.” In that measure, the Journal leads the Times, roughly 537,000 to 380,000; USA Today is well down the list. The Times’ Jeremy Peters reports that growth in digital shows “a growing willingness by consumers to pay for digital newspaper editions.” || Related: Rick Edmonds says the changes in how ABC counts circulation means the figures will go sideways, not up or down (Poynter.org) | Newsday’s circulation figures indicate its much-maligned paywall is working (Forbes.com)
ABC’s report of the top 25 daily papers:
| Average Circulation at the Top 25 U.S. Daily Newspapers For the Six Months Ending 9/30/11 | ||||
| Preliminary Figures as Filed with the Audit Bureau of Circulations – Subject to Audit | ||||
| State | Newspaper Name | Total Circulation Excluding Branded Editions | Total Branded Editions | Total Average Circulation |
| NY | WALL STREET JOURNAL | 2,096,169 | 2,096,169 | |
| DC | USA TODAY | 1,784,242 | 1,784,242 | |
| NY | NEW YORK TIMES | 1,150,589 | 1,150,589 | |
| NY | NEW YORK DAILY NEWS | 601,097 | 4,580 | 605,677 |
| CA | LOS ANGELES TIMES | 572,998 | 572,998 | |
| CA | SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS | 184,018 | 343,550 | 527,568 |
| NY | NEW YORK POST | 512,067 | 512,067 | |
| DC | WASHINGTON POST | 507,465 | 507,465 | |
| IL | CHICAGO TRIBUNE | 425,370 | 425,370 | |
| TX | DALLAS MORNING NEWS | 255,613 | 154,029 | 409,642 |
| NY | NEWSDAY | 404,542 | 404,542 | |
| IL | CHICAGO SUN-TIMES | 236,371 | 152,982 | 389,353 |
| TX | HOUSTON CHRONICLE | 328,813 | 40,897 | 369,710 |
| CO | DENVER POST | 343,180 | 9,935 | 353,115 |
| PA | PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER | 260,375 | 70,759 | 331,134 |
| MN | STAR-TRIBUNE | 298,147 | 298,147 | |
| AZ | ARIZONA REPUBLIC | 292,838 | 292,838 | |
| CA | ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER | 172,942 | 97,867 | 270,809 |
| OH | CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER | 243,299 | 243,299 | |
| WA | SEATTLE TIMES | 242,814 | 242,814 | |
| OR | OREGONIAN | 242,784 | 242,784 | |
| FL | ST. PETERSBURG TIMES | 240,024 | 240,024 | |
| MI | DETROIT FREE PRESS (e) | 234,579 | 234,579 | |
| CA | SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE | 220,515 | 220,515 | |
| CA | SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE | 219,347 | 219,347 | |
