Large Liberal Media Just Keeps Tanking

Was It Something They Said?

Large liberal media continues to slide down the long slope towards Total Loss Farm. The Los Angeles Times, which brought in Michael Kinsley as an editorial tourniquet a few months back, admitted today that it has suffered a large if not catastrophic loss in circulation during this election year -- a time when readership traditionally grows for newspapers.

The LA Times which is widely known as a liberal hotbed of news hit pieces ( The recall election in California saw it shine in this regard.), enjoys a virtual monopoly in Los Angles. Still, it cannot seem to shake itself out of the stupor which has overtaken most liberal media.

The numbers of the last year tell the story.

September Circulation Last Year

LOS ANGELES, November 3, 2003 --– The Los Angeles Times showed continued gains in Sunday circulation, according to figures filed with the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) for the six-month period ended Sept. 30, 2003, subject to audit. Sunday circulation rose to 1,379,258, an increase of 2,326, ranking as the fourth consecutive statement showing a Sunday increase.

For the period ended Sept. 30, 2003, the Los Angeles Times' average daily circulation for Thursday to Saturday was 995,838, a 1-percent decrease compared with the prior year. Average daily circulation for Monday to Wednesday was 914,584, a decrease of about 1 percent from the prior year. Six-day average daily circulation was 955,211, a decline of 1.1 percent from the prior year. The Times' average daily circulation continues to be affected by three consecutive home delivery price increases starting in 2001.

September Circulation This Year

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28, 2004 – For the six months ended Sept. 30, 2004, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday-Saturday average daily circulation of 902,164, a decline of 5.6 percent compared with the prior year, and Sunday circulation of 1,292,274, a decline of 6.3 percent from the prior year, according to figures filed with the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC), subject to audit.

Circulation was largely affected by two developments: the impact of the national Do Not Call law on telesales operations and a deliberate decision to reduce third-party sponsored home delivery and single copy bulk sales.

Summation:

• Sunday September 3003 -- 1,379,258
  
• Sunday October 2004 -- 1,292,274 (off 6.3% from 2003)
  
• Newspapers sold weekly, 2003: 7,354,286
  
• Daily September 2003 -- 995,838 (off 1.1% from 2002)
  
• Daily September 2004 -- 902,164 (off 6.3% from 2003)
  
• Newspapers sold weekly, 2004 : 6,705,258
  
• Difference in units sold per week, 2003 vs. 2004: -649,028
  
• Annual single copy sales decline 2003 vs 2004: -33,749,456

Whether you read it or wrap you espresso grounds in it, that's a lot of acres of Canadian wood pulp tree farms which will not be going to the Los Angeles Times this year.

Put another way: If the daily sales of the Los Angeles Times is. for sake of argument, 1 million copies a day, the last year's loss of circulation is roughly equal to every single person who buys the Los Angeles times deciding to take a one month three day vacation from the paper.

Next year? Maybe it will be equal to a six week vacation. The trend, as they say, is not good. Perhaps the Times had start looking at what it says and how it says it if it wants to become a going concern. One man in the Editorial department isn't going to do it. A few less men in the Editorial department, starting with the disgusting Robert Scheer, would be a beginning. Absent that, positive cash-flow will continue to elude The Lost Angeles Times.

Posted by Vanderleun at October 28, 2004 5:21 PM