Newspapers are starting to "get it" when it comes to retaining circ and using the web

Newspapers are getting a handle on the new world of circulation and becoming more savvy about serving and building audiences online, according to a biennial study from the Newspaper Association of America (NAA). The NAA represents more than 2,000 newspapers in Canada and the U.S. The stsudy was released by the Newspaper Association of America (NAA) in tandem with the spring release of FAS-FAX circulation data for the previous 6 months. A press release about the study's results reveals that:

• The "churn" of subscribers has slowed down significantly; more subscribers are being retained.
  
• Newspapers are reducing their reliance on telemarketing, accounting for 35% of subs in 2006 compared to 58% in 2000.
• Larger papers (more than 25,000 circulation) are optimizing the use of their delivery systems: 60 percent are delivering products for other publications and advertisers.
• More than 59 million people (37.6 percent of all active Internet users) visited newspaper web sites on average during the first quarter of 2007, a record number that represents a 5.3 percent increase over the same period a year ago.
  
• On average newspaper Web sites contribute to a 13.7 percent increase in newspaper audience for the coveted 25- to 34-year-old demographic, and a 9.2 percent increase for 18- to 24-year-olds.

Since some magazines rely on newspapers as carriers (inserted) or delivery vehicles (using the same contractors) as well as outlets for freestanding inserts, these are important trends.