The latest newspaper circulation figures are out, and while things are still pretty brutal, it could’ve been a lot worse.
Just seven of the top 25 daily U.S. newspapers managed to increase their total average daily circulation during the six months ended March 31, with the Wall Street Journal (2,117,796) and USA Today (1,829,099) topping the list as the only two American newspapers with more than 1 million weekday readers.
Average daily circulation for the New York Times fell 3.6 percent, and 2.7 percent on Sunday.
Publishers of the top 25 Sunday newspapers fared better, with 13 of them upping their circulations. The New York Times’ Sunday edition tops that list with a circulation of 1,339,462 copies — the only newspaper in the U.S. with more than 1 million Sunday readers.
The Los Angeles Times, the second highest circulated Sunday paper and fourth daily, said its results (Sunday circulation rose marginally; daily circulation fell slightly) were the “best in eight years.”
Average Circulation at the Top 25 U.S. Daily Newspapers
1. WALL STREET JOURNAL 2,117,796
2. USA TODAY 1,829,099
3. NEW YORK TIMES 916,911
4. LOS ANGELES TIMES 605,243
5. SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS 577,665
6. WASHINGTON POST 550,821
7. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 530,924
8. NEW YORK POST 522,874
9. CHICAGO TRIBUNE 437,205
10. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 419,407
11. DALLAS MORNING NEWS 404,951
12. HOUSTON CHRONICLE 364,724
13. PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER 343,710
14. ARIZONA REPUBLIC 337,170
15. DENVER POST 324,970
16. NEWSDAY 298,759
17. STAR TRIBUNE 296,605
18. ST. PETERSBURG TIMES 292,441
19. OREGONIAN 260,248
20. CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER 254,372
21. SEATTLE TIMES 253,742
22. DETROIT FREE PRESS 246,169
23. SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE 235,350
24. NEWARK STAR-LEDGER 229,255
25. BOSTON GLOBE 219,214
Average Circulation at the Top 25 U.S. Sunday Newspapers
1. NEW YORK TIMES 1,339,462
2. LOS ANGELES TIMES 948,889
3. WASHINGTON POST 852,861
4. CHICAGO TRIBUNE 780,601
5. SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS 636,999
6. DETROIT FREE PRESS 614,226
7. HOUSTON CHRONICLE 587,984
8. NEW YORK DAILY NEWS 584,658
9. DENVER POST 519,838
10. STAR TRIBUNE 516,134
11. ARIZONA REPUBLIC 511,764
12. PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER 488,287
13. ST. PETERSBURG TIMES 429,048
14. CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 421,453
15. CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER 403,001
16. ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION 391,815
17. DALLAS MORNING NEWS 375,100
18. NEWSDAY 362,221
19. ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 360,450
20. BOSTON GLOBE 356,652
21. NEW YORK POST 355,784
22. SEATTLE TIMES 346,991
23. BALTIMORE SUN 343,552
24. NEWARK STAR-LEDGER 337,416
25. MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL 333,999
[SOURCE: Audit Bureau of Circulations]
