Independent leads newspaper recovery
There was welcome relief for the UK’s daily newspapers today, after ABC figures showed circulations up across the board following December’s festive dip, led by a near 10 per cent jump for The Independent.
The compact quality newspaper saw its monthly circulation increase by nearly 25,000 in January to 250,641, while a 7.5 per cent lift at The Sun was enough to inch the paper back above the three million mark to 3.2 million.
In total, the daily market was up 3.37 month-on-month but The Independent’s performance was only usurped by its weekend sibling, The Independent on Sunday, which posted a 19.31 per cent lift to once again rise above the 200,000 marker to 236,500.
Today’s figures will be welcomed by the newspaper’s new editor John Mullin who assumed the role last month following Tristan Davies’ departure in December.
Elsewhere, circulation for The Guardian was boosted by a range of British army fitness guides, a Spiderwoman DVD, and its Greek myths booklets, helping to achieve a 7 per cent month-on-month rise to 378,394.
News Corp’s quality offering The Times saw its circulation increase 3 per cent to 633,718, ahead of a 1.9 per cent lift for The Telegraph to 890,086 and a slight 0.73 per cent lift for the Financial Times to 452,448.
Circulation at The Sun's red-top rival, the Daily Mirror, which had an 'Events that shook the world' DVD giveaway during January, was up 1.23 per cent to 1,512,559 copies.
In the Sunday market, car supplements by Jeremy Clarkson and children’s DVD giveaways through a promotion with WH Smith, helped The Sunday Times post a healthy 7.23 per cent lift to 1,231,374.
In the mid-market battle, Richard Desmond’s Daily Express shifted some 8,000 more copies in January to average 752,699 per day, while The Daily Mail recorded a slight 0.13 per cent lift to 2,313,908.
Meanwhile, the revamped The Mail on Sunday's circulation grew 5.46 per cent to 2,330,366, part fuelled by a Jean Michel Jarre CD promotion, compared to a a 3.98 per cent lift for the Sunday Express, now at 704,436 copies.
Arif Durrani is news editor of mad.co.uk.
