It is striking how far circulation numbers have fallen. I found a page from Editor & Publisher from 1988 that reported on the top 25 newspapers in the U.S. in terms of circulation. The decline is striking. Here’s the start of the story:
By Mark Fitzgerald
When the year began, numerous newspaper advertising analysts declared that 1988 would be a banner year.Midway through this lackluster year, they revised their projections downward.
Much the same thing seems to be happening with newspaper circulation, according to the results of the latest FAS-FAX report from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.
When the FAS-FAX for the six months ended March 31, 1988, came out, daily circulation seemed a special bright spot in a dull year.
With the release of the FAS-FAX for six months ended Sept. 30, 1988, however, the other shoe has dropped.
Here’s a look at five newspapers, 1988 versus 2023-24 daily circulation data:
Newspaper 1988 Most Recent Decline (%)
Wall Street Journal 1,869,000 609,654 2023 ~67%
New York Times 1,116,334 296,329 2023 ~73%
Los Angeles Times 1,112,344 118,760 2023 ~89%
Chicago Tribune 1,098,127 73,000 2024 ~93%
Arizona Republic 320,409 67,510 2023 ~79%
The complete list of 25 is available in the article. It includes Sunday circulation numbers.
The complete list of 25 is available in the article. It includes Sunday circulation numbers.