Newspapers see autumn gloom in latest ABCs

National newspaper circulation continued to fall across the board in November with only The Observer and some Scottish titles registering any increase month on month, according to latest ABC figures.

Newspapers

The Sun, now with its allegiance to the Conservatives firmly in place, saw a drop in average net circulation of 2.25% to below 3m for the first time in six months. The publisher’s News of the World also tumbled below 3m.

The Daily Mirror also dropped 2.77% to 1.26m and fell 8.92% for the six months June to November on the same period in 2008. Even the Daily Star’s circulation, which saw a jump earlier this year from its low cover price, fell 1.56% to 823,476.

In the mid-market the Daily Mail, which launched a popular X Factor Scratchcard game on 28 November, saw a fall in circulation of 0.39% to 2,148,571, down 2.38% for the six month period, year on year. The Daily Express fell 1.84% to 685,195 and is down 3.66% period on period.

The quality titles continue to see a steep overall drop in circulation with an aggregated fall of 7.04% year on year for the six month period, although some of this can be attributed to the steady stripping out of “bulks”.

The Guardian, currently undergoing another staffing restructure and an overhaul of its commercial operations, saw a 2.13% drop to 305,240. The Daily Telegraph dropped 3.09% to 744,151.

The Times, still at 90 pence compared to its rivals’ cover price of one pound and whose online plans for a paywall are the subject of much speculation, saw a drop of 1.49% to 563,262 and is down 7.24% year on year for the period. The Independent fell 0.26% to 186,557 and dropped 14.07% year on year.

The Financial Times registered a fall in average net circulation of 2.85% to 401,072.

The News of the World fell 4.61% to 2,923,355, down 4.01% year on year for the period. The Sunday Mirror also fell 4.87% to 1,148,244.

The Observer, now facing an overhaul and a slimming down in the New Year, actually saw a rise in circulation of 1.57% to 372,669 in November but a drop for the six months of 12.43% year on year. The Sunday Times fell 1.76% to 1,171,457, while The Sunday Telegraph dropped 1.91% to 577,201. The Independent on Sunday slid 0.18% to 156,517 and is down 15.23% year on year.

The Mail on Sunday fell 2.11% to 2,071,526 and the Sunday Express fell 3.18% to 594,517.