Circulation figures are in, and like newspapers nationwide, the number of daily subscribers are dropping like rocks.
According to the story at the Business Journal, the St. Pete Times lost more than 10% of its subscribers in the past year, while the Tampa Tribune is down almost 19% for daily subscriptions.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune lost most than 16 percent of its daily subscribers, The Ledger in Lakeland had an 11 percent drop in daily subscribers, and the Bradenton Herald circulation dropped 10 percent.
I have included links to each of the newspapers’ websites. We hope that those folks no longer getting the paper delivered will continue to read online. We should all know what’s going on in our local communities, and not many sources give you the depth as newspapers traditionally have.
Jacob Varghese
4 months ago
1. I think this Yahoo partnership will help the local newspapers make more money off their sites. ( http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/28/technology/internet/28yahoo.html )
I know I’ve started to read more local news since it’s been available on the yahoo news site. Fyi, the yahoo news site is the most popular news site. ( http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004016432)
2. I like what I perceive to be the St. Pete Times approach in Tampa – focus on weekend sales and offer a free daily (TBT) that functions as a promo tool for the website and weekend editions.
I don’t know anyone that wants to read a full daily paper in print. It’s just a waste of paper.
Tino
4 months ago
“I don’t know anyone that wants to read a full daily paper in print.”
I read several. It separates me from the mouth-breathing troglodytes I have to deal with every day.
Online editions have their place, but that medium also has so many limitations that I prefer the carbon-based form as well.
TBT? Uh, sure. I guess that’s for readers that just graduated from Highlights For Children.
Jacob Varghese
4 months ago
I can’t defend TBT. It serves a purpose as a promotional and advertising tool.
Tim
4 months ago
It’s unfortunate that print is losing so much circulation, but everyone’s going for the convenience of online media. Now, local papers are going to have to compete online with everything from your uber specific blog about a Tampa personal injury lawyer to Google News.
michele
4 months ago
i switched from the tampa tribune to the st pete times after the trib fired the man who delivered my paper faithfully EVERY day by 6am for 19 years… as well as when this rosemary wonman changed the format to a childlike content …..
read 2 papers a day… some work out, some drink. sometimes i read while working out and i can surely drink while i read!
paper in hand vs… keyboard. no comparison at all.
Patsy
4 months ago
Nothing like sitting down in quiet, a hot cup a coffee, and the morning paper in front of you. I do prefer the St Pete Times, seems the Tribune so caught up in the Bucs, and the Republican Right of South Tampa…St Pete much better.
Dr_Zoidberg
4 months ago
With the time change, my weekend jog is again blessed with a bit of daylight. I was surprised at how many people in my neighborhood still receive the newspaper in their front yard. It may just be the Sunday edition, but well over 50% had one of the local fish wrappers in their yard this morning.
junebee
4 months ago
I was a former Trib employee and loyal subscriber till they fired Joseph Brown. Then I vowed never to read the Trib again.
My habit is grocery shopping on Sunday morning. If I go too late, St. Petersburg Times are sold out, whereas Tribs languish on the newsrack.
I also miss the local weeklies that used to be tossed on the driveway mid-week.
For up-to-the-minute news on vitalevents, the web can’t be beat, but for coverage of local events we still need paper.