Circulation Evaporates, Publishers Erase The Data

Michael Hedges May 25, 2020 Follow on Twitter

Inextricably bound to the media world is measurement. Every meeting and presentation, even in Zoom-world, is powered by graphic representations of data. Rankings, pie-charts, trend lines and bullet points add power to the colorless drone. It’s addictive. It’s expected. It could be going away.

Publisher News UK, News Corporation subsidiary, is pulling out of the “circulation wars,” said UK ad business portal Campaign (May 21). Monthly circulation figures compiled by Audit Bureau of circulations (ABC) will no longer be publicly released, though media buyers will have access after signing a non-disclosure agreement. News UK, which publishes The Sun tabloid and The Times, will remain an ABC member.

The ABC recently changed its rules to allow publishers to opt-out of public release of the data. No longer will there be a monthly national tally ranking by circulation. Instead, there will be a “rolling release of data” as figures are provided to the ABC. “This addresses publisher concerns that monthly ABC circulation reports provide a stimulus to write a negative narrative of circulation decline,” explained the ABC statement (May 21). The ABC reports aggregated print and digital readership.

“It is logical that the way we measure our audiences reflects the way the world works today,” said News UK chief operating officer David Dinsmore, stressing the multiplatform nature of the company’s business. "A renewed focus on total audience across our many distribution platforms enables the news sector, media agencies and advertising partners to understand the true value of our news brands and the power of advertising within a trusted context as they continue to see significant audience growth.” Like almost every publisher anywhere News UK uses as many platforms as possible, digital surging. The company also has radio broadcasting assets.

Telegraph Media Group (TMG) left the ABC reporting regime in January, choosing a proprietary service audited by PwG (Price Waterhouse Coopers). "The ABC metric is not the key metric behind our subscription strategy and not how we measure our success,” said a company statement, quoted by media portal Mediatel (January 16). Regional and local publisher Newsquest pulled all of its titles from ABC reporting last year.

In October last year various UK news outlets reported TMG owners Frederick and David Barclay were looking for buyers for the Daily and Sunday Telegraph titles. At first, several prospects were floated. As family squabbles arose those discussions appear to have cooled.

"This is a genius move,” commented Guardian media editor Jim Waterson on the News UK decision, quoted by public broadcaster BBC (May 21). “Can't write about the decline in print newspaper sales if there's no longer evidence that print newspaper sales are actually declining! Entirely coincidentally, pre-Covid this was due to be the month the Sun lost its title as UK's biggest selling newspaper after 40+ years to Daily Mail. Now we've... no idea.”

Indeed the ABC released remnant April circulation figures last week, less the Sun, the Times, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph. Every title dropped in circulation month-to-month, without surprise, lockdowns considered. Worst hit were the Financial Times and the i. Free sheet Evening Standard, once widely distributed at transit stops, fell by 40%.

“The question for many (publishers) is not if but when they stop the printing presses,” wrote BBC media correspondent David Sillito. “For years, the monthly sales figures were a proud boast to advertisers and politicians of a newspaper's power and reach. That era is over.”

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