Print circulation drops for local daily newspapers

HAMILTON — The Hamilton JournalNews’ print circulation has declined during the last six months according to a new report, although it is faring better than the national average and its overall audience proportion remains stable.

The Audit Bureau of Circulation released its 2009 fas-fax report Oct. 26 with circulation figures for the last six months at daily newspapers across the country. For the Hamilton JournalNews, the report showed that the paper’s Sunday circulation is down 2.62 percent compared to the national average of 7.4 percent. Daily circulation is down 6.53 percent compared to the national loss of 10.6 percent.

Despite overall circulation losses, readership of the JournalNews and Journal-News.com increased to 68 percent of the market according to Scarborough Research, which measures lifestyle and media consumer behaviors.

“The readership numbers reinforce that the Hamilton JournalNews’ print and online editions reach a clear majority of the market,” said Edwina Blackwell Clark, JournalNews publisher. “We appreciate our readers and are committed to providing the audience that our local advertisers desire.”

In response to market feedback, the newspaper will release in November its first-ever $10 a month, four-day subscription package for the Hamilton market. In addition, the newspaper remains committed to exploring all channels of news and content delivery to its marketplace including a continued emphasis in growing its online audience.

Within the last week, the JournalNews finalized a research panel looking at a new digital newspaper product that is expected to launch in early 2010.

In terms of national newspaper circulations, the report cited that the biggest losses were felt by the San Francisco Chronicle with its circulation down 25.8 percent and at The Newark Star-Ledger and the Dallas Morning News, which were both down 22.2 percent.

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