Print friendly
E-mail story
Tip Us Off
iPod friendly
Comments
Bookmark This
del.icio.us.
Digg!
furl
google
newsvine
reddit
technorati
Facebook
Yahoo!A report from the Audit Bureau of Circulations confirms what many Santa Barbarans have known all along: the meltdown at the News-Press has scared away many formerly loyal readers, leading to perhaps the most dramatic drop in newspaper circulation anywhere in the country.
According to an article in Editor & Publisher, the ABC is reporting that the daily’s circulation plummeted 14.1 percent, to 33,755 subscribers, between March and September 2007. Sunday subscriptions are down at an even higher rate of 14.8 percent.
That news follows a similarly disastrous drop in subscriptions for the six-month period leading up to March 31, 2007, when the readership fell nearly 10 percent. Since the turmoil began in July 2006, the News-Press has lost nearly 10,000 subscribers, or about one quarter of their pre-meltdown readership.
Worst of all, according to Editor & Publisher, is that the recent drop shows a significant slide in “individually-paid circulation,” the more expensive type of subscription that’s a statistic coveted by advertisers. The daily lost 5,549 subscribers in that realm, or about 15.8 percent. The News-Press is, however, on the rise in discounted subscriptions — but that 68 percent uptick only amounts to 147 copies.
As a comparison, Editor & Publisher used The Blade in Toldeo, Ohio, where a union battle waged for nine months. That award-winning paper only lost about 2.4 percent, which is about the industry standard.
A request for comments was put out to the News-Press, but was not returned at the time of this publishing. If they do issue a comment or divulge plans on how to stop the circulation free-fall, they will be included in an update.
Double-clicking on any word or phrase in this story will open a reference window with definitions and links to other reference material.
Previous Month
Comments
Discussion Guidelines
Monday I received a telemarketing call from a highly energetic News-Press sales rep. She said that management was really interested in feedback from their subscribers, and they had taken that feedback to make great changes to the paper. She was pushing a highly discounted 12 week subscription, and encouraged me to subscribe and look for lots of holiday savings. I informed her that management had never shown any interest in my feedback before, and that I was skeptical. Eventually she threw in the towel.
Wouldn't it be nice if News-Press management decided to truly listen to subscriber and citizen feedback, instead of driving us away and treating us like morons? They don't seem to acknowledge that there are many other outlets these days for those of us who want to stay informed.
TrulyIndependent (anonymous profile)
November 7, 2007 at 12:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
How about this: ex- or would-be subscribers will re-subscribe when: the union and Wendy reach a collective bargaining agreement, when the 8 reporters who were fired are offered reinstatement, and when she publishes on the front page an apology and promise to hand off her "co-publisher" duties to someone competent within 60 days.
JoeHill (anonymous profile)
November 7, 2007 at 2:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I moved into a new place in Goleta and the last person who lived there got the News Press. I've been trying to get them to stop delivering it to me, but they won't. I can't cancel it. I've tried several times.
It's been a year now and I'm to the point where I'm hoping the subscription just runs out...
bronc (anonymous profile)
November 7, 2007 at 3:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"S.B.'s once revered daily"? Are you kidding? I've lived here since 1975 and the NP has always been a joke of a paper. When the Times owned it I cringed every time I walked past the building and saw their name. Wendy has merely hastened the demise of the NP. If this town wants a real paper the NP will never be in the running.
Carpreader (anonymous profile)
November 7, 2007 at 10:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey, I need the News-Farce so I know who or what not to vote for. I just read their endorsements and vote the opposite.
Noletaman (anonymous profile)
November 8, 2007 at 6:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
to bronc,
Have you tried changing the address on the subscription? You might be able to find Rob Lowe's address somewhere, although I doubt he would appreciate the irony.
equus_posteriori (anonymous profile)
November 15, 2007 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Post a comment