NRS National Newspaper Round-Up: November 2005
Daily Newspaper Market
Britain’s daily newspaper market continued to look depressed in November, with a 5.1% decline in readership overall was reflected by year on year declines in every category.
The quality sector saw one of the largest single casualties, with the Financial Times seeing a drop in readership of 28.7% year on year in November, the same month as editor Andrew Gowers handed in his resignation, citing “strategic differences” with the paper’s management (see FT Editor Steps Down Citing ‘Strategic Differences’).
Elsewhere, the Daily Telegraph saw its readership slip, losing 1.3% in the same period, but retaining its position as the nation’s best-read quality daily, with a total of 2.1 million.
The mid-market also looked glum in November, with both the Daily Express and Daily Mail losing large percentages from their readerships year on year.
Meanwhile the popular sector saw some success from the Daily Record, bucking the trend for decline to record the market’s only readership growth year on year for November.
There were success stories elsewhere too, as compact titles the Guardian, Independent and Times recorded healthy growth year on year, continuing their strong performance since switching to tabloid format.
Quality Daily Titles
The quality daily market saw readership rises from its compact titles during November, with particular cause for celebration evident in the Independent’s addition of 25.6% year on year. The title now commands a readership of 732,000.
Elsewhere the Times saw a healthy 8.1% increase on the same period last year, pushing its readership total to just over 1.8 million. The Guardian‘s addition of 13.1% is also impressive, giving the paper a total of 1.23 million, as well as much encouragement following its switch to Berliner format last year (see Guardian Hits Newsstands In Berliner Format).
Not every title in the quality sector saw success in November, however, as the Financial Times recorded a massive 28.7% downturn in readership year on year. The slip sees the paper’s total fall to 321,000, a loss of 129,000 in real terms in the same month as editor Andrew Gowers handed in his resignation, citing “strategic differences” with the paper’s management (see FT Editor Steps Down Citing ‘Strategic Differences’).
The Daily Telegraph also faltered, losing 1.3% from its readership but maintaining its dominance of the sector, with a total of just over 2.1 million.
Mid Market Daily Titles
The mid market put in a dismal performance during November, as both the Daily Express and Daily Mail saw their readership decline year on year.
The Daily Express was the worst hit, losing 8.6% on 2004’s total to hit 1.9 million. The Daily Mail lost 5.6% meanwhile, knocking 327,000 off its total in real terms. The paper’s readership now stands at 5.5 million.
Popular Daily Titles
The Daily Record was the only popular daily title to see an increase in readership year on year during November, as the title added 1.5% to total 1.2 million.
Elsewhere, the nation’s best-read newspaper, the Sun, lost 7.7% to knock its total down to 8.1 million. Arch rival the Daily Mirror also suffered, shedding 8.6% in the same period to see readers number 4.1 million.
The Daily Star saw the sector’s largest readership downturn, as a 12.9% decline pushed it to 1.7 million, shaving 258,000 from its total in real terms.
| National Newspaper NRS Figures – November 2005 | ||||
| Daily Titles | Jun 04-Nov 04 | Jun 05-Nov 05 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Quality | ||||
| Daily Telegraph | 2,132,000 | 2,104,000 | -28,000 | -1.3 |
| Financial Times | 450,000 | 321,000 | -129,000 | -28.7 |
| Guardian | 1,088,000 | 1,230,000 | 142,000 | 13.1 |
| Independent | 583,000 | 732,000 | 149,000 | 25.6 |
| Times | 1,671,000 | 1,807,000 | 136,000 | 8.1 |
| Mid Market | ||||
| Daily Express | 2,101,000 | 1,921,000 | -180,000 | -8.6 |
| Daily Mail | 5,854,000 | 5,527,000 | -327,000 | -5.6 |
| Popular | ||||
| Daily Mirror | 4,492,000 | 4,104,000 | -388,000 | -8.6 |
| Daily Record | 1,200,000 | 1,218,000 | 18,000 | 1.5 |
| Daily Star | 2,002,000 | 1,744,000 | -258,000 | -12.9 |
| Sun | 8,772,000 | 8,098,000 | -674,000 | -7.7 |
| Total Daily | 30,345,000 | 28,806,000 | -1,539,000 | -5.1 |
Sunday Newspaper Market
The nation’s Sunday newspaper market saw a performance echoing that of its weekday counterpart in November, albeit with slightly a reduced readership decline overall.
A 3.7% decline in readers overall resulted principally from the mid market and popular sectors, with declines evident across the board in both markets.
The quality sector looked much healthier, meanwhile, with only one title suffering a readership downturn. The Sunday Telegraph, holding on to its position as market leader amongst the nation’s quality titles, suffered a dip of 2.2% year on year, shedding 44,000 in real terms to total just under 2 million.
Elsewhere, the strongest performance was recorded by the Independent on Sunday, adding 12.5% year on year to total 758,000. The paper made the switch to compact format in October 2005, ditching its traditional broadsheet format to mirror the appearance of weekday sister title, the Independent (see Independent On Sunday To Make Tabloid Switch).
Quality Sunday Titles
The Sunday Telegraph‘s year on year readership decline was the only dark cloud in an otherwise clear sky for the Sunday quality market during November, with all other titles seeing increases to their audience.
The Independent On Sunday notched up the largest increase, adding 12.5% year on year to total 758,000. October saw the title consign its broadsheet format to the history books, following its weekday counterpart with a redesign in compact format (see Independent On Sunday To Make Tabloid Switch).
The Sunday Times also put in a strong performance, adding 10% year on year to push its readership total to almost 3.5 million.
The Observer completed the round of good fortune, adding 9.1% to its total year on year, propelling the title’s audience to more than 1.3 million.
Mid Market Sunday Titles
The Sunday mid market suffered the same fate as its weekday equivalent in November, with readership decline in evidence across both titles in the sector.
The Mail on Sunday saw the largest decline year on year, losing 5.6% from its total to see readership slide to just over 6.2 million. Meanwhile, the Sunday Express lost 4.2% from its total, pushing its readership down to just under 2.2 million.
Popular Sunday Titles
The popular sector saw a similar trend of decline in November, with sizable declines in readership reported across the board.
Worst hit was the Daily Star Sunday, shedding 20.8% of its total to hover just above the 1 million mark. The News Of The World also looked glum, shedding 7.8% from its total. However, the paper remains the nation’s favourite weekend title, with an audience in excess of 8.7 million.
Elsewhere, declines of 4.7% and 4% for the Sunday Mirror and People left the papers with respective readerships of 4.5 million and just under 2 million.
| National Newspaper NRS Figures – November 2005 | ||||
| Sunday Titles | Jun 04-Nov 04 | Jun 05-Nov 05 | Actual Change | % Change |
| Quality | ||||
| Independent On Sunday. | 674,000 | 758,000 | 84,000 | 12.5 |
| Observer | 1,197,000 | 1,306,000 | 109,000 | 9.1 |
| Sunday Telegraph | 2,017,000 | 1,973,000 | -44,000 | -2.2 |
| Sunday Times | 3,171,000 | 3,488,000 | 317,000 | 10.0 |
| Mid Market | ||||
| Mail On Sunday. | 6,511,000 | 6,211,000 | -300,000 | -4.6 |
| Sunday Express | 2,251,000 | 2,157,000 | -94,000 | -4.2 |
| Popular | ||||
| Daily Star Sunday. | 1,268,000 | 1,004,000 | -264,000 | -20.8 |
| News Of The World | 9,436,000 | 8,701,000 | -735,000 | -7.8 |
| People | 2,062,000 | 1,979,000 | -83,000 | -4.0 |
| Sunday Mirror | 4,763,000 | 4,539,000 | -224,000 | -4.7 |
| Total Sunday | 33,350,000 | 32,116,000 | -1,234,000 | -3.7 |
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