Print circulation is struggling, but digital circulation is steadily increasing, which, according to The New York Times, “has helped newspapers combat the pressures on their print issues.” This has to be a good sign for newspapers, as they are gaining readers. Now, they have to find a way to capitalize financially with this steady increase in digital circulation, which remains to be the great mystery in the newspaper industry.
It astounds me that “digital circulation account[s] for 15.3 percent of the total average circulation for newspapers in that period.” “That period” being April 1, 2012 to September 30, 2012. Maybe it should not have shocked me, maybe it did because I never saw digital circulations put into numbers, but still, that seems to be a fairly large percent of circulation and I only see that number growing in the future. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, who came up with the numbers, “those figures include readers using smartphones, tablets, e-readers or metered Web sites.” As the digital revolution continues to rise, more and more people are going to purchase and use those accessories for reading the news. It is just the direction we are heading towards. Again, the question remains, how profitable can this be for newspapers, as they have been declining in profits for a while.
In my novice opinion, I feel like it is only a matter of time before something clicks and fixes a lot of what is going on. Smart people are working at this and they have to be close, right? Maybe I am giving these people too much credit, but I hope not . . .