The AJC's daily circulation fell 3.2 percent during the previous six months, down to 396,888. A decade ago, the newspaper had a daily circulation of 518,914. During a 10-year period of explosive population growth in Atlanta, the newspaper drove away almost 24 percent of its subscribers. Quite an achievement.
The Charlotte Observer didn't show up in the latest reports. But six months ago, its circulation was 226,082, a 5 percent drop from a decade earlier.
The St. Petersburg Times lost 3.2 percent of its circulation, dropping to 337,515. A decade back, the paper had 372,451 subscribers. The Tampa Tribune held its ground at just shy of 239,000 subscribers. In 1995, it had a circulation of 279,561.
The most outrageous explanation for the circulation decline: The Times publisher called the circulation loss a "blip." A 10-year trend is a "blip"?
Publishers are extremely inventive in explaining their dying readership base. Hurricanes, gasoline prices — heck, the Tampa Trib's circulation manager even blamed a lousy season for the Buccaneers.
The truth is (but the newspapers will never tell this to their advertisers), the publishers don't care. They just keep boosting ad rates, and fewer subscribers reduces their printing costs. Thus, plummeting circulation equates to soaring profits.
In the 1970s, the press woke up after the lies of Vietnam — and the proof of Watergate that journalism could make a difference.
There are few similar signs of life today. The media were totally snookered by the Bush regime on Iraq. Are they angry? Hell, no, they're either part of the agitprop machine (Fox, talk radio) or too chickenshit to fight back. That's why America is fed a steady diet of "Runaway Bride" stories — cheap, emotional, absolutely no value.
My AJC friend said the newspaper had to use "caution" in approaching the news. Interpreted, that means not offending anyone.
And the number of unoffended people who read that daily newspaper, and all of its brethren, keeps shrinking and shrinking and shrinking.
For more on newspapers, wars and much more, see www.JohnSugg.com. Senior Editor John Sugg can be reached at john.sugg@creativeloafing.com.