Oregonian Continues to Lose Readers; Circulation Down 6.7%

Update: 2013 and 2014 paid circulation numbers here.

The September 2011 Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) report shows a 6.7% drop in Oregonian circulation from six months previous.

Circulation reported in March 2011 was 260,248. For September 2011 it has fallen to 242,784.

Changes ABC made in the March 2011 circulation report (such as adding e-edition circulation to print circulation figures) gave the Oregonian an 8.86% spike in total circulation (from 239,071 to 260,248) over the preceding September 2010 report. But now the Oregonian is back near where it was in September 2010 before the expanded counting began.

Adding e-circulation was a good idea because it measures a new form of readers. Still, readership is not increasing for the Oregonian. The Oregon paper has lost more than 1/5th (68,000) of its circulation in five years and more than 1/4th (90,700) in six years.

September 2005 circulation - 333,515
September 2006 circulation - 310,803
September 2011 circulation - 242,784

Here are the stats on the top 25 U.S. newspapers from Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Average Circulation at the Top 25 U.S. Daily Newspapers
For the Six Months Ending 9/30/11

WALL STREET JOURNAL - 2,096,169
USA TODAY - 1,784,242
NEW YORK TIMES - 1,150,589
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS - 605,677
LOS ANGELES TIMES - 572,998
SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS - 527,568
NEW YORK POST - 512,067
WASHINGTON POST - 507,465
CHICAGO TRIBUNE - 425,370
DALLAS MORNING NEWS - 409,642
NEWSDAY (NY) - 404,542
CHICAGO SUN-TIMES - 389,353
HOUSTON CHRONICLE - 369,710
DENVER POST - 353,115
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER - 331,134
STAR-TRIBUNE (MN) - 298,147
ARIZONA REPUBLIC - 292,838
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (CA) - 270,809
CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER - 243,299
SEATTLE TIMES - 242,814
OREGONIAN - 242,784
ST. PETERSBURG TIMES - 240,024
DETROIT FREE PRESS (e) - 234,579
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE - 220,515
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE - 219,347

H/T Editor & Publisher