NRS National Newspaper Round-Up: June 2005
Daily Newspaper Market
The nation’s national daily newspapers saw a slip in readership during June, with the market as a whole shedding 7.6% year on year. The dip, which was the result of heavy declines across the mid market and popular sectors, translates to a departure of more than 2 million readers across the daily market.
Quality Daily Titles
Britain’s quality sector was the only daily market to see any readership increase during June, as both the Guardian and the Times managed double-figure percentage growth year on year.
The Guardian saw its readership increase by an impressive 20.8% year on year, pushing the paper’s total to 1.24 million, while the Times saw a readership rise of 10% in the same period to total 1.82 million.
The Daily Telegraph remains the nation’s best-read quality daily, with a total of 2.25 million readers, despite a dip of 0.9% year on year in June.
The Independent also saw a decline in readership, shedding 7.3% to total 647,000, while the Financial Times saw a smaller decline of 3.8% in the same period.
Mid Market Daily Titles
The mid market was less fortunate during June, with no increases in readership. The Daily Mail remained the sector’s most-read title, with a total of 5.62 million, while the Daily Express now totals 2.04 million. The papers lost 1.9% and 6.3% respectively from their totals year on year during June.
Popular Daily Titles
Readership figures looked particularly glum in the popular sector during June, with double-digit percentage growth evident in all four titles.
The Daily Mirror was the worst hit, losing 15.3% year on year to push its total down to 4.23 million. Arch rival the Sun was also bruised, however, shedding 13.9% in the same period, but remains the nation’s most read newspaper, with a total readership of almost 8 million.
Elsewhere, the Daily Record and Daily Star also suffered, with respective circulation declines of 11.5% and 11.3%, leaving the papers with totals of 1.26 million and 1.82 million.
| National Newspaper NRS Figures – June 2005 | ||||
| Daily Titles | Jan 04-Jun 04 | Jan 05-Jun 05 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Quality | ||||
| Daily Telegraph | 2,275,000 | 2,254,000 | -21,000 | -0.9 |
| Financial Times | 474,000 | 456,000 | -18,000 | -3.8 |
| Guardian | 1,025,000 | 1,238,000 | 213,000 | 20.8 |
| Independent | 698,000 | 647,000 | -51,000 | -7.3 |
| Times | 1,655,000 | 1,821,000 | 166,000 | 10.0 |
| Mid Market | ||||
| Daily Express | 2,175,000 | 2,038,000 | -137,000 | -6.3 |
| Daily Mail | 5,727,000 | 5,620,000 | -107,000 | -1.9 |
| Popular | ||||
| Daily Mirror | 5,000,000 | 4,234,000 | -766,000 | -15.3 |
| Daily Record | 1,424,000 | 1,260,000 | -164,000 | -11.5 |
| Daily Star | 2,053,000 | 1,820,000 | -233,000 | -11.3 |
| Sun | 9,220,000 | 7,940,000 | -1,280,000 | -13.9 |
| Total Daily | 31,726,000 | 29,328,000 | -2,398,000 | -7.6 |
Sunday Newspaper Market
The Sunday newspaper market saw a less drastic decline in readership than the daily market overall, although a 4.2% downturn year on year still translates to a loss of over 1.4 million readers in real terms.
The decline was caused by downturns in the Sunday popular sector, with the market echoing its weekday counterpart to see readership dips across the board.
Quality Sunday Titles
The quality Sunday sector was upbeat during June, with all four titles adding to their readership totals and, in some cases, making sizeable increases year on year.
The Observer saw the largest upturn, adding 24% year on year to propel its total readership to just over 1.28 million. The Independent on Sunday was also fortunate, adding 14.9% year on year to total 777,000.
The market-leading Sunday Times retained its position at the top of the quality tree, boosting its readership by 11.1% and climbing to 3.62 million, while the Sunday Telegraph made the smallest increase, adding 2.6% in the same period to reach a readership of 2.13 million.
Mid Market Sunday Titles
Britain’s mid market Sunday titles also looked rosy throughout June, with both the Mail on Sunday and Sunday Express adding to their readership totals.
The Mail on Sunday succeeded in adding 3.2% year on year to give a total of 6.42 million, while the Sunday Express added 2.7% in the same period to reach 2.23 million.
Popular Sunday Titles
The nation’s popular papers continued to see readership decline in June’s Sunday market, with the People seeing the heaviest decline at 19.3% year on year. The title’s readership now stands at 1.97 million.
Elsewhere, market leading News of the World also looked depressed, with a downturn of 14% year on year costing the paper almost 1.39 million readers in real terms. The title’s total readership currently rests at 8.54 million.
The Sunday Mirror also struggled during June, losing 9.4%, while the Daily Star Sunday suffered a similar fate, shedding 9.2% of its readership in the same period.
| National Newspaper NRS Figures – June 2005 | ||||
| Sunday Titles | Jan 04-Jun 04 | Jan 05-Jun 05 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Quality | ||||
| Independent On Sunday. | 676,000 | 777,000 | 101,000 | 14.9 |
| Observer | 1,034,000 | 1,282,000 | 248,000 | 24.0 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 2,080,000 | 2,134,000 | 54,000 | 2.6 |
| Sunday Times | 3,256,000 | 3,616,000 | 360,000 | 11.1 |
| Mid Market | ||||
| Mail On Sunday. | 6,219,000 | 6,421,000 | 202,000 | 3.2 |
| Sunday Express | 2,166,000 | 2,225,000 | 59,000 | 2.7 |
| Popular | ||||
| Daily Star Sunday. | 1,171,000 | 1,063,000 | -108,000 | -9.2 |
| News Of The World | 9,925,000 | 8,536,000 | -1,389,000 | -14.0 |
| People | 2,442,000 | 1,970,000 | -472,000 | -19.3 |
| Sunday Mirror | 5,087,000 | 4,609,000 | -478,000 | -9.4 |
| Total Sunday | 34,056,000 | 32,633,000 | -1,423,000 | -4.2 |
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