Circulation defies global trend

Australian newspaper sales continued their resilient performance in the September 2009 quarter, posting relatively stable circulation results and defying newspaper sales trends overseas.

Figures released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations show sales of Monday to Sunday metropolitan newspapers were virtually steady - with a decrease of only 1.1% - in the three months ending September 30, 2009, compared with the previous corresponding period.

The results show that Australians are buying more than 20 million newspapers every week.

Sales of national, metropolitan and regional Monday to Saturday Australian newspapers were slightly down – by 1.3%.

The figures are in sharp contrast to the latest circulation data from the US and UK.

In the US market, weekday newspaper sales in the six months from April to September 2009 dropped by 10.6%, while Sunday newspapers fell by 7.5%*.

The circulation trend in the UK is also continuing downwards, with national daily newspaper sales in September this year falling by 3.9% year on year, and Sundays down by 6.3%**.

“Just as the Australian economy has proven more resilient than the rest of the world, so too have our newspapers,” The Newspaper Works CEO Tony Hale, said.

Hale said there were also significant differences between the Australian newspaper industry and overseas markets.

“Newspapers in Australia continue to set the news agenda on a daily basis and Australians turn to newspapers as the most reliable news medium,” Hale said.

Hale pointed to steady sales of Monday to Friday and Monday to Saturday metropolitan newspapers in Australia -  where declines in the latest period were less than 1% - as proof that the newspaper market remains robust.

“Given that the September quarter last year included the Beijing Olympics, the latest results are also possibly better than the figures actually indicate,” Hale said.

In the metropolitan Sunday newspapers segment, circulation was down 2.5%.

“Sunday continues to be the biggest day for newspaper sales with Australians buying 3.2 million papers every week, reaching an audience well in excess of any other medium,” Hale said.

“The latest circulation results again show that Australians hold their newspapers in high regard, and for advertisers the story is as resonant as ever – newspapers are a very powerful advertising vehicle for reaching the mass audience,” Hale said.

Sources:  
* Audit Bureau of Circulations (US), circulation of newspapers for the six months to September 30, 2009
** Audit Bureau of Circulations (UK), circulation of newspapers for September 2009