Newspaper publisher Trinity Mirror is to move 11 of its regional titles to a system of monthly reporting of newspaper sales figures from this month.
Traditionally the regional press has reported sales figures only every six months, with average sales for the July to December period published in February and the January to June figures published in August.
However Trinity Mirror, now the only publishing group which owns both regional and national newspapers, wants to bring its biggest regional papers into line with its national titles’ reporting dates.
The move is partly designed to maximise advertising opportunities across its portfolio which are now handled by a single sales team – the National Advertising Sales Agency (NASa).
Chief operating officer Mark Hollinshead said: “In a multi-channel environment our clients require robust and transparent audience data on all of our news brands – in print, online, mobile and e-editions – delivered in a consistent format and on a far more regular basis.”
All of the group’s key regional titles are in the process of launching new websites and mobile sites in recent months and new e-editions for tablet devices will be introduced throughout the summer.
The daily and Sunday titles included in the new monthly reporting system are: Manchester Evening News, Birmingham Mail, Liverpool Echo, Newcastle Chronicle, South Wales Echo, Teesside Gazette, Coventry Telegraph, North Wales Daily Post, Sunday Sun, Sunday Mercury and Wales on Sunday.
Not included are the Huddersfield Daily Examiner, the Paisley Daily Express, the Western Mail and The Journal, Newcastle.
The last set of ABC figures in February showed sales down for all the group’s big English regional dailies.
Of the titles affected by the changes, the best-performing was the North Wales Daily Post with a 3.4pc fall while the worst-performing with an 11.6pc fall in sales was the Manchester Evening News.
Trinity’s move stands in contrast to that of four major Scottish titles which have all decided to move from monthly to six-monthly reporting in future.
The Scotsman and Scotland on Snuday, owned by Johnston Press, together with Newsquest titles The Herald and Sunday Herald, have all opted to be classed as “regional” titles for the purpose of reporting circulation figures.
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Is this so the dramatic decline in sales looks a little less shocking? A bit like amputating an arm inch by inch from the fingers, rather than in one big chop above the elbow?
Or will Trinity Mirror’s newspaper sales directors continue to count bulk drops and staff copies as actual sales and make it all look a little less ridiculous than it really is?
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What will affect sales is the ongoing trend by TM and every other newspaper company, which is giving content away on the internet. There has just been a launch of a new website in Birmingham and Coventry, and none of the content pushes people to go and BUY the paper. All the main stories are on the site, full copy and extra photographs.
Believe me, before it’s all too late, just publish a photo and a headline/first paragraph and the all important ‘Pick up a copy today from your newsagent for the full story’ at the bottom.
Stand back and watch those ABC’s turn into 123’s.
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