A weekly title that launched a fresh bid to be its patch’s “paper of record” has topped the latest circulation charts.
The Stornoway Gazette recorded an increase in circulation of 18pc between January and December last year, when compared with 2020, the newest ABC figures for weekly titles show.
The boost for the Gazette comes after owner JPIMEdia installed Murray MacLeod and Brian Wilson to the roles of editor and editor-at-large respectively early in 2021.
Speaking after his appointment, Brian, pictured, said he felt a “duty to help restore the Gazette as a paper of record for the islands”.
The Gazette was the only totally paid-for regional title to post an increase for the reporting period.
However, more than a dozen Archant titles, some of which are partially paid-for, also experienced circulation rises. along with three council-run titles.
At the other end of the scale, JPI’s News Post Leader showed a 99pc decrease in circulation owing to the publisher’s decision to switch the South-East Northumberland title from free to paid-for at the end of April.
The Crawley Observer, Hemel Hempstead Gazette and Nuneaton News also recorded drops of more than 40pc after ceasing distribution of free copies during the year.
The full list of non-dailies in order of circulation increase and decrease can be seen in the first table below.
While most daily titles report every six months, as covered by HTFP last week, 11 JPIMedia and Reach plc titles now report annually and their results can be found in the second table below.
Table 1: Non-daily titles by circulation increase/decrease
Title | Jan-Dec 2021 | Jan-Dec 2020 | Y-o-y pc change |
Stornoway Gazette | 2,698 | 2,292 | 18% |
Hunts Post | 35,345 | 33,284 | 6% |
Waltham Forest News | 102,773 | 97,832 | 5% |
Ilford Recorder | 5,614 | 5,489 | 2% |
Royston Crow | 9,978 | 9,762 | 2% |
Stevenage Comet | 20,129 | 19,805 | 2% |
Saffron Walden Reporter | 14,139 | 13,975 | 1% |
Hitchin Comet | 16,000 | 15,816 | 1% |
Dunmow Broadcast | 10,345 | 10,232 | 1% |
Ely Standard | 4,562 | 4,518 | 1% |
Letchworth GC & Baldock Comet | 15,742 | 15,593 | 1% |
Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury | 11,334 | 11,237 | 1% |
Cambs Times | 8,624 | 8,559 | 1% |
North Somerset Times | 32,794 | 32,608 | 1% |
East Suffolk Extra | 9,813 | 9,771 | 0% |
Wisbech Standard | 8,210 | 8,179 | 0% |
Hackney Today | 92,030 | 91,755 | 0% |
Thetford & Watton Times | 12,659 | 12,648 | 0% |
Hackney Life | 92,042 | 91,971 | 0% |
Uxbridge Gazette | 9,016 | 9,012 | 0% |
Shrewsbury Chronicle | 26,577 | 26,618 | 0% |
The Herts Advertiser | 28,941 | 29,068 | 0% |
The Advertiser – Waveney Edition | 33,789 | 33,963 | -1% |
Brent and Kilburn Times | 10,310 | 10,429 | -1% |
Diss Mercury | 8,239 | 8,411 | -2% |
Dereham & Fakenham Times | 2,228 | 2,283 | -2% |
North Norfolk News | 2,776 | 2,847 | -2% |
Docklands & East London Advertiser | 4,444 | 4,562 | -3% |
Arran Banner | 2,180 | 2,241 | -3% |
The Advertiser – Yarmouth Edition | 32,486 | 33,541 | -3% |
Ealing Gazette | 7,290 | 7,554 | -3% |
Ross-shire Journal | 2,544 | 2,656 | -4% |
MEN on Sunday | 5,583 | 5,829 | -4% |
Romford Recorder | 9,998 | 10,505 | -5% |
Dunoon Observer | 2,633 | 2,773 | -5% |
Isle of Bute News | 797 | 840 | -5% |
Oban Times | 6,703 | 7,088 | -5% |
Annandale Observer | 3,075 | 3,252 | -5% |
Strathspey & Badenoch Herald | 1,734 | 1,835 | -6% |
Champion | 129,784 | 137,945 | -6% |
Goole Times (Incorporating Selby Times) | 8,255 | 8,807 | -6% |
Inverness Courier (Fri) | 4,835 | 5,163 | -6% |
Chichester Observer | 8,602 | 9,219 | -7% |
Strathearn Herald | 858 | 920 | -7% |
Northern Times | 1,677 | 1,805 | -7% |
Wood and Vale | 2,612 | 2,816 | -7% |
Annandale Herald and Moffat News | 2,008 | 2,173 | -8% |
West Sussex County Times | 4,416 | 4,783 | -8% |
West Highland Free Press | 3,692 | 4,003 | -8% |
Beccles & Bungay Journal | 2,228 | 2,416 | -8% |
Sussex Express | 3,773 | 4,118 | -8% |
Dumfries Courier | 15,242 | 16,696 | -9% |
Northampton Chronicle & Echo | 5,976 | 6,552 | -9% |
The Galloway News | 3,396 | 3,726 | -9% |
Lowestoft Journal | 5,093 | 5,589 | -9% |
Ham and High Express | 3,944 | 4,330 | -9% |
John O’Groat Journal | 3,160 | 3,470 | -9% |
West Sussex Gazette | 407 | 447 | -9% |
Northamptonshire Telegraph | 5,794 | 6,405 | -10% |
Newham Recorder | 5,809 | 6,432 | -10% |
Brentwood Recorder | 1,918 | 2,127 | -10% |
Great Yarmouth Mercury | 6,223 | 6,902 | -10% |
Northumberland Gazette | 3,087 | 3,431 | -10% |
Manchester Weekly News | 123,822 | 137,732 | -10% |
Campbeltown Courier & Argyllshire Advertiser | 3,494 | 3,902 | -10% |
Dumfries & Galloway Standard (Fri) | 5,437 | 6,080 | -11% |
Buxton Advertiser | 3,125 | 3,499 | -11% |
Forres Gazette | 938 | 1,053 | -11% |
Telford Journal | 25,545 | 28,710 | -11% |
Blairgowrie Advertiser | 815 | 916 | -11% |
Ham & High Broadway | 240 | 270 | -11% |
Mid Sussex Times | 2,700 | 3,043 | -11% |
Harborough Mail | 1,892 | 2,135 | -11% |
Falkirk Herald | 7,996 | 9,028 | -11% |
Dewsbury Reporter | 4,164 | 4,708 | -12% |
Leamington Courier | 4,289 | 4,851 | -12% |
Peterborough Telegraph | 5,313 | 6,015 | -12% |
Caithness Courier | 1,860 | 2,106 | -12% |
Burnley Express (Fri) | 2,815 | 3,192 | -12% |
Lytham St. Annes Express | 1,630 | 1,850 | -12% |
Matlock Mercury | 1,399 | 1,593 | -12% |
Chronicle and Informer | 6,532 | 7,439 | -12% |
Hackney Gazette | 1,368 | 1,560 | -12% |
Market Rasen Mail | 971 | 1,108 | -12% |
Derry Journal (Fri) | 3,444 | 3,936 | -13% |
Islington Gazette | 4,502 | 5,153 | -13% |
Worthing Herald | 6,565 | 7,518 | -13% |
Perthshire Advertiser (Tue) | 1,570 | 1,798 | -13% |
Derry Journal (Tue) | 2,871 | 3,288 | -13% |
Gloucester Citizen | 3,918 | 4,502 | -13% |
Derbyshire Times | 10,050 | 11,553 | -13% |
Bath Chronicle | 4,192 | 4,830 | -13% |
Dumfries & Galloway Standard (Tue) | 2,907 | 3,352 | -13% |
Gloucestershire Echo | 4,139 | 4,774 | -13% |
Macclesfield Express | 3,611 | 4,169 | -13% |
Fife Free Press | 3,806 | 4,398 | -13% |
Larne Times | 1,517 | 1,753 | -13% |
Milngavie & Bearsden Herald | 1,118 | 1,292 | -13% |
Banbury Guardian | 3,151 | 3,644 | -14% |
Sheffield Telegraph | 2,625 | 3,038 | -14% |
Whitby Gazette | 2,838 | 3,285 | -14% |
Lancaster Guardian | 3,561 | 4,131 | -14% |
Rochdale Observer (Wed) | 1,635 | 1,897 | -14% |
Welwyn Hatfield Times | 2,266 | 2,630 | -14% |
Northern Scot | 3,239 | 3,761 | -14% |
South Shields – Shields Gazette | 2,227 | 2,586 | -14% |
Leek Post & Times | 3,667 | 4,261 | -14% |
Scotland on Sunday | 5,881 | 6,843 | -14% |
The Huntly Express | 846 | 986 | -14% |
Wigan Observer | 3,621 | 4,225 | -14% |
Daventry Express | 708 | 828 | -14% |
Cornishman | 3,531 | 4,137 | -15% |
Southern Reporter | 4,603 | 5,395 | -15% |
Boston Standard | 1,315 | 1,543 | -15% |
Doncaster Free Press | 4,672 | 5,485 | -15% |
Eastbourne Herald | 6,965 | 8,178 | -15% |
Horncastle News | 1,136 | 1,334 | -15% |
Ashbourne News Telegraph | 2,025 | 2,378 | -15% |
Wakefield Express | 5,495 | 6,456 | -15% |
Hastings Observer | 7,573 | 8,903 | -15% |
Stirling Observer (Wed) | 3,203 | 3,769 | -15% |
Melton Times | 2,225 | 2,622 | -15% |
Clitheroe Advertiser & Times | 1,460 | 1,725 | -15% |
Weston, Worle & Somerset Mercury | 4,919 | 5,812 | -15% |
Scunthorpe Telegraph | 6,262 | 7,406 | -15% |
Perthshire Advertiser (Fri) | 3,535 | 4,181 | -15% |
Liverpool Sunday Echo | 8,239 | 9,745 | -15% |
Plymouth – Western Morning News | 8,782 | 10,397 | -16% |
Llanelli Star | 3,236 | 3,840 | -16% |
Leighton Buzzard Observer | 1,175 | 1,395 | -16% |
Berwickshire News | 1,115 | 1,324 | -16% |
Louth Leader | 1,735 | 2,065 | -16% |
Southport Visiter | 1,173 | 1,397 | -16% |
Linlithgow Gazette | 1,489 | 1,776 | -16% |
Halifax Courier | 5,092 | 6,080 | -16% |
Bucks Herald | 1,801 | 2,151 | -16% |
Rossendale Free Press | 3,045 | 3,648 | -17% |
Kirkintilloch & Bishopbriggs Herald | 1,349 | 1,618 | -17% |
Lanark & Carluke Gazette | 1,995 | 2,393 | -17% |
Black Country Bugle | 2,597 | 3,116 | -17% |
Rochdale Observer (Sat) | 3,263 | 3,921 | -17% |
Inverness Courier (Tue) | 2,328 | 2,807 | -17% |
Gainsborough Standard | 1,102 | 1,329 | -17% |
Biggleswade Chronicle | 1,251 | 1,509 | -17% |
Lincolnshire Echo | 6,381 | 7,699 | -17% |
Skegness Standard | 1,324 | 1,598 | -17% |
Crewe Chronicle | 3,075 | 3,715 | -17% |
Cumbernauld News & Kilsyth Chronicle | 749 | 906 | -17% |
Hinckley Times | 3,582 | 4,334 | -17% |
Brighouse Echo | 802 | 972 | -17% |
Harrogate Advertiser | 5,776 | 7,003 | -18% |
Luton News | 2,079 | 2,525 | -18% |
Stirling Observer (Fri) | 1,383 | 1,681 | -18% |
Staffordshire Newsletter | 3,549 | 4,318 | -18% |
Hucknall Dispatch | 1,009 | 1,228 | -18% |
Mansfield Chad | 6,662 | 8,109 | -18% |
Rugby Advertiser | 2,101 | 2,573 | -18% |
Scarborough News | 4,373 | 5,360 | -18% |
West Briton | 5,824 | 7,142 | -18% |
Exeter – Express & Echo (Thursday) | 5,278 | 6,478 | -19% |
Accrington Observer | 2,551 | 3,141 | -19% |
Newcastle Sunday Sun | 9,465 | 11,666 | -19% |
Deeside Piper | 437 | 539 | -19% |
Lennox Herald | 2,561 | 3,164 | -19% |
Stockport Express | 2,152 | 2,662 | -19% |
Carmarthen Journal | 4,068 | 5,034 | -19% |
Morpeth Herald | 525 | 650 | -19% |
Nelson Leader | 1,641 | 2,041 | -20% |
Banffshire Journal | 525 | 653 | -20% |
Ayrshire Post | 6,907 | 8,593 | -20% |
Sleaford Standard | 436 | 543 | -20% |
Wales on Sunday | 4,198 | 5,231 | -20% |
East Coast and The Wolds Target | 1,396 | 1,740 | -20% |
Fleetwood News | 610 | 762 | -20% |
Portadown Times | 1,958 | 2,447 | -20% |
The Galloway Gazette | 340 | 425 | -20% |
Pontefract & Castleford Express | 3,725 | 4,660 | -20% |
East Fife Mail | 1,383 | 1,738 | -20% |
Worksop Guardian | 1,712 | 2,152 | -20% |
Chorley Guardian | 1,909 | 2,400 | -20% |
Hebden Bridge & Todmorden Times & News | 846 | 1,067 | -21% |
Midlothian Advertiser | 725 | 915 | -21% |
Tamworth Herald | 3,740 | 4,723 | -21% |
Mearns Leader and Kincardineshire Observer | 280 | 354 | -21% |
Pocklington Post | 394 | 499 | -21% |
Motherwell Times & Bellshill Speaker | 1,271 | 1,611 | -21% |
Mid Ulster Mail | 907 | 1,150 | -21% |
Sunday Mercury | 6,251 | 7,945 | -21% |
Sleaford Target | 1,291 | 1,646 | -22% |
Ormskirk Advertiser | 549 | 700 | -22% |
Fife Herald | 2,130 | 2,727 | -22% |
Ellon Times | 135 | 173 | -22% |
The Banffshire Advertiser | 707 | 907 | -22% |
Loughborough Echo | 3,272 | 4,209 | -22% |
Glamorgan Gazette | 1,590 | 2,046 | -22% |
Aldershot News & Mail | 1,314 | 1,691 | -22% |
Bridgnorth Journal | 2,783 | 3,584 | -22% |
Kent and Sussex Courier | 4,276 | 5,512 | -22% |
Surrey Advertiser | 4,191 | 5,406 | -22% |
The Mid Devon Gazette | 2,248 | 2,904 | -23% |
Western Gazette | 4,303 | 5,575 | -23% |
Sidmouth Herald | 2,392 | 3,104 | -23% |
Londonderry Sentinel | 245 | 318 | -23% |
Boston Target | 3,088 | 4,014 | -23% |
The West Lothian Courier | 2,093 | 2,732 | -23% |
Chester Chronicle | 2,328 | 3,047 | -24% |
Bridlington Free Press | 2,188 | 2,865 | -24% |
Kilmarnock Standard | 3,323 | 4,358 | -24% |
The Buchanie | 352 | 462 | -24% |
Berwick Advertiser | 1,281 | 1,683 | -24% |
Wishaw Press | 1,836 | 2,419 | -24% |
Retford Times | 1,933 | 2,549 | -24% |
North Star | 533 | 704 | -24% |
Essex Chronicle | 4,096 | 5,417 | -24% |
Newport Advertiser | 2,310 | 3,057 | -24% |
Sevenoaks Chronicle | 1,915 | 2,536 | -24% |
Birmingham Post | 1,152 | 1,527 | -25% |
Torquay – Herald Express | 5,134 | 6,815 | -25% |
Eastwood & Kimberley Advertiser | 784 | 1,041 | -25% |
North Devon Journal | 4,316 | 5,736 | -25% |
The Visitor – Morecambe | 1,097 | 1,459 | -25% |
North Devon Gazette | 20,802 | 27,797 | -25% |
Fraserburgh Herald | 208 | 278 | -25% |
Glenrothes Gazette | 367 | 491 | -25% |
Cornish Guardian | 3,378 | 4,525 | -25% |
Surrey Mirror | 1,778 | 2,384 | -25% |
Rutherglen Reformer | 879 | 1,187 | -26% |
Pontypridd & Llantrisant Observer | 444 | 603 | -26% |
Bedford Citizen | 31,181 | 42,437 | -27% |
Heywood & Middleton Guardian | 732 | 997 | -27% |
Runcorn & Widnes Weekly News | 1,938 | 2,650 | -27% |
Buckingham & Winslow Advertiser | 1,021 | 1,399 | -27% |
Mid Somerset Gazette | 1,651 | 2,268 | -27% |
Milton Keynes Citizen | 39,022 | 53,718 | -27% |
The Banffshire Herald | 374 | 515 | -27% |
East Kilbride News | 1,721 | 2,381 | -28% |
Chronicle Week | 140,412 | 194,527 | -28% |
Croydon Advertiser | 1,728 | 2,414 | -28% |
Dorking and Leatherhead Advertiser | 1,198 | 1,680 | -29% |
Gwent Gazette | 393 | 553 | -29% |
Isle of Thanet Gazette | 1,080 | 1,527 | -29% |
Cynon Valley Leader | 443 | 629 | -30% |
Ulster Star | 442 | 628 | -30% |
Coleraine & Ballymoney Times | 185 | 263 | -30% |
East Grinstead Courier | 252 | 359 | -30% |
Frome Standard | 584 | 832 | -30% |
Hertfordshire Mercury | 2,475 | 3,529 | -30% |
Brentwood Gazette | 1,047 | 1,493 | -30% |
Mid Somerset Journal | 1,422 | 2,030 | -30% |
Highland News | 853 | 1,229 | -31% |
Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser | 2,154 | 3,105 | -31% |
Rhondda Leader | 529 | 765 | -31% |
Folkestone Herald | 1,126 | 1,637 | -31% |
Hamilton Advertiser | 2,778 | 4,059 | -32% |
Irvine Herald and Kilwinning Chronicle | 1,131 | 1,663 | -32% |
South Shropshire Journal | 2,814 | 4,160 | -32% |
Dover Express | 757 | 1,125 | -33% |
Merthyr Express | 660 | 983 | -33% |
Lurgan Mail | 623 | 928 | -33% |
Holyhead and Bangor Mail | 472 | 704 | -33% |
Caernarfon & Denbigh Herald | 600 | 905 | -34% |
Garstang Courier | 738 | 1,126 | -34% |
North Wales Weekly News | 1,073 | 1,639 | -35% |
Barking & Dagenham Post | 882 | 1,353 | -35% |
West Suffolk Mercury | 10,789 | 16,956 | -36% |
Somerset Guardian | 586 | 935 | -37% |
Exmouth Journal | 11,830 | 19,490 | -39% |
Nuneaton News | 1,572 | 3,053 | -49% |
Hemel Hempstead Gazette | 1,394 | 3,834 | -64% |
Crawley Observer | 1,032 | 3,104 | -67% |
News Post Leader | 445 | 34,900 | -99% |
Table 2: Daily titles which report annually in order of circulation decrease.
Title | Jan-Dec 2021 | Jan-Dec 2020 | Y-o-y pc change |
Sunderland Echo | 5,662 | 6,402 | -12% |
Daily Post (North Wales) | 12,478 | 14,250 | -12% |
Burton Mail | 3,385 | 3,940 | -14% |
Grimsby Telegraph | 7,753 | 9,086 | -15% |
Western Mail | 7,177 | 8,419 | -15% |
Edinburgh Evening News | 8,977 | 10,618 | -15% |
Blackpool Gazette | 3,396 | 4,043 | -16% |
Hartlepool Mail | 1,570 | 1,870 | -16% |
Huddersfield Daily Examiner | 5,500 | 6,552 | -16% |
Western Daily Press | 7,647 | 9,248 | -17% |
The Journal (Newcastle) | 4,896 | 6,015 | -19% |