Business
Visualized: The Top 25 U.S. Newspapers by Daily Circulation
Visualized: The Top 25 U.S. Newspapers by Daily Circulation
Most people today—more than 8 in 10 Americans—get their news via digital devices, doing their reading on apps, listening to podcasts, or scrolling through social media feeds.
It’s no surprise then that over the last year, only one U.S. newspaper of the top 25 most popular in the country saw positive growth in their daily print circulations.
Based on data from Press Gazette, this visual stacks up the amount of daily newspapers different U.S. publications dole out and how that’s changed year-over-year.
Extra, Extra – Read All About It
The most widely circulated physical newspaper is the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) by a long shot—sending out almost 700,000 copies a day. But it is important to note that this number is an 11% decrease since 2021.
Here’s a closer look at the data.
| Rank | Newspaper | Average Daily Print Circulation | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Wall Street Journal | 697,493 | −11% |
| #2 | New York Times | 329,781 | −9% |
| #3 | USA Today | 159,233 | −13% |
| #4 | Washington Post | 159,040 | −12% |
| #5 | New York Post | 146,649 | −2% |
| #6 | Los Angeles Times | 142,382 | −14% |
| #7 | Chicago Tribune | 106,156 | −16% |
| #8 | Star Tribune | 103,808 | −9% |
| #9 | Tampa Bay Times | 102,266 | −26% |
| #10 | Newsday | 97,182 | −12% |
| #11 | Seattle Times | 86,406 | −10% |
| #12 | Honolulu Star-Advertiser | 79,096 | −5% |
| #13 | Arizona Republic | 70,216 | −10% |
| #14 | Boston Globe | 68,806 | −11% |
| #15 | Dallas Morning News | 65,369 | −10% |
| #16 | Houston Chronicle | 65,084 | −17% |
| #17 | Philadelphia Inquirer | 61,180 | −20% |
| #18 | San Francisco Chronicle | 60,098 | −12% |
| #19 | Denver Post | 57,265 | −13% |
| #20 | Chicago Sun-Times | 57,222 | −7% |
| #21 | The Buffalo News | 56,005 | −15% |
| #22 | Daily News | 55,653 | −18% |
| #23 | Villages Daily Sun | 49,183 | 3% |
| #24 | St. Louis Post-Dispatch | 48,246 | −11% |
| #25 | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | 47,832 | −13% |
These papers, although experiencing negative growth when it comes to print, are still extremely popular and widely-read publications digitally—not only in the U.S., but worldwide. For example, the New York Times reported having reached 9 million subscribers globally earlier this year.
The one paper with increased print circulation was The Villages Daily Sun, which operates out of a retirement community in Florida. Elderly people tend to be the most avid readers of print papers. Another Florida newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times, was the worst performer at -26%.
In total, 2,500 U.S. newspapers have shut down since 2005. One-third of American newspapers are expected to be shuttered by 2025. This particularly impacts small communities and leaves many across America in ‘news deserts.’
Print vs. Digital Newspapers
Regardless of print’s downturn, digital subscriptions remain much higher for most of these papers. As one example, The Washington Post has over 3 million online subscribers, compared to their 159,000 print readers.
To put things in perspective, around 24 million print papers now circulate throughout the U.S. on any given day. But looking back at the industry’s peak in the 1980s, almost 64 million were distributed on any given weekday.
And digital is not done growing. Newsroom hires have been ramping up for “digital-native” news sites—publications that started online and never had a print version. On the flipside, employment at traditional papers has more than halved since 2008.
Problems with Media
American news media can be extremely divisive. Many newsrooms across the country play into fear, sensationalism, and partisan politics.
Digital news only makes this worse, utilizing algorithms designed to keep a person’s eyes on the page longer, pushing stories with narratives a person shows interest in, and often taking them down a rabbit hole of fringe information—sometimes towards the extremes.
Additionally, the business of journalism is an increasingly less lucrative industry. Most revenue comes from digital ads running on news sites—so rather than selling the news to consumers, it’s the time and attention of consumers that is being sold to advertisers. Furthermore, some of the best quality content is locked up behind subscription-based paywalls.
Print may actually be one way to avoid some of the more obvious issues, particularly because there’s no way to track the data on which stories you read. But all publications still have inherent bias, of course, and it’s clear that print papers are not bouncing back any time soon.
Retail
Visualized: 10 Black Friday Retail Trends
Consumers are expecting more this Black Friday, but for retailers, the pressure is mounting. Here are 10 trends that may impact them in 2023.
10 Black Friday Retail Trends
This year, retailers are under major pressure to orchestrate even more substantial and enticing Black Friday discounts for their customers.
We partnered up with Airwallex to visualize the latest available data from 2022 to understand what this year’s holiday weekend could look like for retailers.
Consumer Loyalty and Price
Theme: Buyer Behaviour
In a 2022 U.S. study conducted by Emarsys, 58% of people claim they are more loyal to retailers that offer them discounts, incentives, and rewards, indicating that price plays a crucial role in fostering loyalty.
Moreover, 60% of respondents admitted to turning their back on the brands they were previously loyal to in an effort to save money amid inflation hikes.
Convenience is King
Theme: Buyer Behaviour
Salesforce notes that 2022 saw a global increase of 9% in Buy Online, Pick Up In Store (BOPIS) adoption during Cyber Week compared to early November data.
Specifically in the U.S., retailers offering BOPIS experienced 38% higher growth in online revenue during Cyber Week compared to those without this service.
Global Spending is Up
Theme: Spending Patterns
Globally, 2022 Cyber Week spending increased 2% YoY to $281 billion. This is despite some regions experiencing a decline and some retailers reporting lighter foot traffic.
Margins at Risk
Theme: Spending Patterns
While consumers are spending more, retailers are still seeing their margins squeezed due to a variety of factors such as high inflation, high cost of goods, strained systems, and increased demand for discounts.
That is why we are starting to see certain retailers choosing to “boycott” Black Friday, and although estimates vary, The Guardian reported that as many as 85% of smaller retailers were not participating in Black Friday in 2021.
The Smartphone Surge
Theme: Buyer Behaviour
According to Adobe, 47% of U.S. online sales came from smartphones during the 2022 holiday spending season—up from 43% in 2021.
This reflects a broader trend within the retail sector, aligning with projections for substantial growth in the global mobile commerce market.
Deeper Discounts
Theme: Spending Patterns
In another benefit to consumers, discounts are getting deeper. Throughout the 2022 holiday season, the average discount stood at 21% compared to 19% in 2021 with apparel, skincare, and beauty touting the deepest discounts.
Alternative Payment Options
Theme: Payments
When it comes to payment methods, alternatives such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) are gaining traction, as evidenced by a 5% increase in orders YoY.
Financing Lower-Priced Goods
Theme: Payments
Despite the success of Buy Now Pay Later, the average order value decreased 5% YoY, meaning consumers are using the payment method more, but to help finance lower-priced goods.
Sales Spikes in APAC + Europe
Theme: Payments
Even though Black Friday has been traditionally viewed as an American retail phenomenon, it has transcended its U.S. origins and has been embraced by consumers the world over.
Several countries witness significant spikes in online sales in 2022, most notably in Australia with a +239% sales spike, and Spain at +576% spike when compared to average October sales.
Retailers Hit with Hidden Fees
Theme: Payments
Did you know that merchants of all shapes and sizes can often find it hard to escape paying unnecessary transaction fees during the holiday season?
For context, every international dollar a retailer generates during the holiday period could be converted up to three times, costing them up to 5.5% of every transaction.
Considering the multitude of benefits afforded to consumers during Black Friday and the holiday season, the question that looms is: is this retail bonanza genuinely worthwhile for retailers?
By partnering with Airwallex, retailers can simplify global payments, but also capitalise on increased consumer spending—without sacrificing on profit.
Learn more about Airwallex now.
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