Feature: Star Shines As Tabloid Circulations Fall

The latest release of ABC figures for national newspapers showed that once again the circulation of tabloid newspapers slipped 2% year on year overall for the December-May period. Dwarfed in circulation by the Sun and the Mirror, but nevertheless bucking the trend, is Northern & Shell’s Daily Star. It might not make any claims to the moral high ground that the Mirror, with its new “not-red-top” approach, is scrabbling for, nor has it engaged in a price war, but it has been quietly increasing its foothold in the tabloid market recently, against the tide of falling circulation.

Over the past twelve months, monthly ABC figures have consistently shown the Star to be making year on year increases in its monthly average circulation figure, of between 10% and 15%. The paper’s circulation is now above 680,000 and while this may be some 300,000 short of the circulations of the Express titles it accompanied in Richard Desmond’s purchase in 2000, at the moment it looks the soundest performer of the three.

Progress in readership growth has been a little less consistent, with increases during last year offset by a slight dip at the start of 2002. However, this seems to be changing for the better again.

A plus point for the Star in terms of attracting advertisers is the age of its readers. With around a quarter of all readers in either the 25-34 or 35-44 age group and a further 20% in the 18-24 age group, the Star does not suffer from the ageing readership seen at some other national titles. Add to this the fact that, according to NRS statistics, 75% of the title’s 1.5 million readers are male, and the Star seems a strong contender for reaching a young male demographic tough to target with other media.

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