Newspaper Circulation Dropping; Who Could Have Seen That Coming?

Say it isn’t so, the Boston Globe reporting a drop in circulation and the New York Times barely realizing an increase. Go figure? In all honesty who actually buys print newspapers anymore? The upcoming Fas-Fax report will read a grim tale for the news print.

During an earnings call with analysts Thursday morning, executives at The New York Times Co. said that the Globe’s daily circ declined by 17,000 copies, or 3.7%, and Sunday decreased by 15,000 copies, or 2.1%.

The New York Times reported daily circ increased by 2,500 copies, or .2%. Sunday circ grew 3,500 copies, also .2%. The Times’ daily circulation dropped 2% within New York, though national circulation is up 2%. Sunday circ sank 5% in the New York area while it increased roughly 5% nationally.

What is most interesting are the reasons that Print executives give for the drop in circulation. Its not so much what they say, its what they don’t.

Executives attributed the circulation decreases in Boston and in the New York area to weather problems during Q1, changing demographics — an influx of immigrants — and the shunning of traditional papers by a younger generation.

Hmm … “the shunning of traditional papers” by younger individuals. Is that code for INTERNET access to the news media? Is it possible that most people and not just young these days go on-line for their news. More to the point, young people go to certain sites and blogs to get their news. Not one mention of the blogosphere as a possible reason for a loss of circulation. One thing is for certain, it will only get worse in the years to come for printed newspaper circulation.