iewPoint |
Volume 1 | Number 2 | July 2005
This Month's Features:
Verified Welcomes Trader Media Publications
La Prensa Grafica Wins a Clio
Wizard Makes Updating ZIP/Postal Codes Faster and Easier
Learning More About Newspapers in Education (NIE)
Events Calendar
Where Have All the Readers Gone?
Survey Shows Promise of Digital Readership
Audit Guide: A "Top Ten" for Getting Started
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Past Issues:
Verified Welcomes Trader Media PublicationsVerified would like to welcome Auto Mart and New Car & Truck Auto Mart, Home & Décor, New Homes and Renters News, publications from Trader Media Corp., as some of its newest members.
Trader Media is one of Canada's leading online and offline classified ad publishers linking buyers and sellers of new and used cars, boats, RVs, motorcycles, heavy equipment, real estate and décor.
Founded in 1975, Trader Media has expanded its reach through acquisitions and new product development. It has grown to over 65 print publications and many websites. The publications are distributed throughout Ontario. The company's Websites include AutoTrader.ca, AutoMart.ca, HomeGuides.ca, RentersNews.ca, NewHomesandCondos.com, HomeandDecor.ca, and EmploymentNews.com.
For more information about Trader Media, visit any of their publication Websites. For information on Verified's products and services, visit www.verifiedaudit.com.
La Prensa Grafica Wins a Clio
Verified would like to congratulate its Web audit client,La Prensa Grafica, for winning a Clio Award. This is the
first time El Salvador has earned this honor. La Prensa
Grafica is a print and online general interest newspaper.
The Clio Awards are the most recognized international
advertising awards competition.
Wizard Makes Updating ZIP/Postal Codes Faster and Easier
The online Wizard allows you to update your Circulation Analysis by ZIP/Postal Code faster and easier. Instead of retyping ZIP/Postal Codes each time, this new feature allows you to transfer your ZIP/Postal Code information with the click of a button.
To use this new option, click the Add by Zone drop-down list in the upper right of the screen. From the menu, click (Default Zone) and the previous ZIP/Postal Codes will automatically be loaded into the ZIP fields. If you have multiple zones, you will need to click on each zone listed, not just the default zone.
You can easily delete ZIP/Postal Codes by clicking the box in the far-right column labeled Del Row. If you need to add rows, click Add.
To sort ZIP/Postal Codes in ascending order, click on the word Zone above the first column. Remember to save the information before you submit it to Verified.
Learning More About Newspapers in Education (NIE)
Newspapers in Education (NIE) is a program created by the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) to provide newspapers directly to teachers for use in classrooms. Verified's clients now report NIE on a separate line on the Quarterly Printing and Distribution report (QPD).
NIE copies must be the same paper a reader would get at another location. NIE can be paid for by the school, a sponsor, or through donations, but not by the newspaper itself.
Twenty-five percent of the basic price or subscription rate needs to be collected for it to be classified as qualified circulation. If NIE copies are for only one day of delivery, a minimum of 25% of the single-copy price must be collected. For example:
Single copy price: $0.50
$0.50 x 25% = $0.13/copy minimum
If NIE copies are delivered more than one day a week, home-delivery rates should be used. The frequency-of-delivery rate that most closely matches the delivery to the schools should be used. For example:
Basic price for Monday–Friday delivery: $3.50/week
$3.50/5 days = $0.70 per copy
$0.70 x 25% = $0.18/copy minimum
NIE cannot exceed 10% of weekly average circulation. If NIE circulation is consistently higher on a single day, the day must be reported on a separate QPD.
For the audit, a publication should maintain the necessary documentations to support the NIE copies claimed. You will need to provide:
- Name and address of the educational institutions receiving NIE
- Distribution records—route sheets and/or carrier draw sheets that detail NIE delivery OR statements of mailing from the USPS
- Payment records which show name and address, date of payment, and a minimum amount paid of 25%
Events Calendar
Florida Press Association
2005 FPS Super Conference
Sept 22–23, 2005 | Disney Coronado Springs Resort, Florida
www.flpress.com
National Newspaper Association 119th Annual Convention & Trade Show
Sept 28–Oct 1, 2005 | Hyatt Regency, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
www.nna.org
Independent Press Association
IPA San Francisco conducts a series of Indy Press Thursday receptions.
For dates and locations, call (415) 643-4401, ext. 100
www.indypress.org
Folio: Show Conference & Expo
Nov 1–3, 2005 | Hilton, New York
www.folioshow.com
Pacific Northwest Newspaper Association
PNNA Annual Meeting
Nov 8–12, 2005 | The Davenport Hotel, Spokane, Washington
www.pnna.com
Southern Newspaper Association Annual Convention
Nov 13–16, 2005 | The Breakers, Palm Beach, Florida
www.snpa.org
Where Have All the Readers Gone?
Paid newspaper circulation has declined for decades as people have found new places to gather news and information. Daily newspaper readership has declined by about 1% per year since 1990.
"The State of the News Media in America," a study co-sponsored by the Project for Excellence in Journalism and New York's Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism reported that just more than half of Americans (54%) read a newspaper during the week and slightly more (62%) on Sunday.The drop in readership is most apparent with young adults between the ages of 18 and 34. Around 15 years ago, it became apparent that the baby-boomers' children weren't picking up the daily newspaper-reading habit. A recent study conducted by the American Society of Newspaper Editors found that young adults were one-third less likely than their parents to read newspapers daily. This is especially troubling to publishers and advertisers because this coincides with prime consuming years and when readers are likely to establish shopping patterns.
So, where have all the readers gone? Only three sectors of the news media—ethnic, alternative, and online—continue to see steady growth.
Circulation of Spanish daily papers more than tripled from 1990 to 2002. Ethnic papers are thriving since a growing number of people in the U.S. speak a language other than English. Spanish-language papers have a special advantage because so many nationalities share the same language.
The only segment that matches the growth of the ethnic media is the alternative press. In the robust economy of the 1990s, the number of alternative weeklies grew rapidly, drawing national advertising as well as local ad dollars. According to the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, readership has risen in 2004 to 7.5 million, up from 7.3 million in 2003.
Although some research indicates that online media does not seem to be cannibalizing print, there are some exceptions. People who go to online newspaper sites appear to be spending less time reading newspapers in print. In addition, online readership is highest among younger people. Thirty-eight percent of young adults, aged 18 to 29, reported going online for news regularly according to Pew Research Center for People and the Press.
In response to declining numbers, current experiments by papers like the Washington Post and Chicago Tribune to produce free papers aimed at a younger audience are being closely watched. These tabloid-sized, ad-heavy papers are aimed at commuters who use mass transit.
Large papers in major cities have launched free weeklies, dubbed "faux alternatives," to compete with the traditional alternative papers. Papers are also making inroads into the ethnic market. According to the Latino Print Network, 46 (mostly weekly) Hispanic publications are owned by mainstream news organizations.
Is daily newspaper readership dead? Not so, according to Doug McCorkindale, CEO of Gannett Newspapers in a recent Time magazine article. "Our game plan is to deliver information to people when they want it and how they want it," said McCorkindale. "If that's in print, okay. If they want to go on the Website and get the news, that's okay, too."
McCorkindale's viewpoint lacks the fatalism of some pundits. "The world is not coming to an end," he said. "[The industry] is more competitive than it was in 1975, but this nonsense that young people don't read is simply wrong."
Survey Shows Promise of Digital Readership
Digital readership had a strong showing in a recent reader survey commissioned by 101communications across four of its technology magazines (Application Development Trends, Campus Technology, Federal Computer Week and Redmond).Results showed that digital subscribers have similar demographic profiles to their print counterparts, are very satisfied with the digital format, and are active participants in content and advertising.
In addition, ties of the readers to the publication appear to be strengthened by digital delivery, with 35 percent of subscribers increasing their use of the Website, 31 percent increasing their use of the magazine, and 22 percent increasing usage of publication e-mail newsletters.
Other stats include:
- 74 percent of readers have linked to a vendor's Website from an ad in a digital edition
- 37 percent have forwarded vendor information to a colleague
- 22 percent have forwarded an ad to a colleague
Audit Guide: A "Top Ten" for Getting Started
Before the auditor arrives...
- Make sure that all documentation is organized
- Make sure that all documentation is easy to access.
- Label reports and files for easy identification.
- Specify which materials are for the audited months.
- Create adequate space for the auditor to work, preferably close to the records and individuals they'll be working with.
- Have a desk and chair ready in a clean, well-lit working area.
- Assure that there is access to an electrical outlet.
- Take time to sit down with the auditor to go over your circulation systems and records.
- Be ready to devote the entire day or days (the amount of time needed to complete an audit varies).
- If you won't be the auditor's primary contact, make sure they know whom to contact with questions and ask for additional information.
Please send comments and story ideas to e-newsletter@verifiedaudit.com or contact us at:
Verified Audit Circulation
900 Larkspur Landing Circle, Suite 295
Larkspur, CA 94939-1758
Phone: (415) 461-6006
Fax: (415) 461-6007