Drop in circulation for dailies outside England

IN Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, newspaper circulations remained as bleak as elsewhere in the second half of 2008, with all the bigger daily titles continuing their downward path with the exception of the Irish News, which managed minimal year-on-year growth.
Northern Ireland's independently-owned Irish News morning edition managed to buck the declining trend by posting an average circulation rise of just 0.1% year-on-year to 47,819 in the second half of last year.
However, the 60p daily was down a similarly small amount, 0.2%, from its average circulation in the first half on 2008.
Independent News & Media's rival Belfast Telegraph series saw a year-on-year fall of 8.1% to an average circulation of 60,179 from July to December last year. This constituted an 8.6% fall in circulation compared to the first half of the year.
The Johnston Press-owned Ulster News Letter saw a year-on-year circulation fall of 4.6% to 25,253. The daily was 3.6% down on its circulation figure for the first six months of last year.
In Wales, a number of leading regional dailies saw circulations tumble. Trinity Mirror's morning newspaper, the Western Mail series saw average circulation for the last six months of 2008 fall 10.3% year-on-year to 33,693. The Western Mail also fell 9.3% compared to the first half of that year.
Wales' other daily morning paper, Trinity Mirror's Daily Post, had an average circulation of 34,601 during the last six months of the year, a decline of 5% year on year and 3.5% compared to the first half of 2008.
Northcliffe Media's South Wales Evening Post saw circulation fall 6.7% to 47,875 in the second half of last year. Wales' leading circulation daily paper was down 6.6% on the average in the first half of 2008.
The Cardiff-based South Wales Echo, a Trinity Mirror evening paper, dropped its average circulation by 9.9% to 41,550.
'Wales' only paid-for Sunday title, Trinity Mirror's Wales on Sunday, had an average circulation of 35,955 per issue – down 12.7% year on year and 15.9% compared to the first half of 2008.
In Scotland, the biggest faller among the daily papers was the Glasgow Evening Times, a Newsquest title, which dropped 8.1% year on year to an average circulation in the second half of last year of 68,422. This was down 5.7% compared to the first half of that year.
Johnston Press's Edinburgh Evening News saw its average circulation fall by 7.3% year on year to 47,129. The paper was down 4.2% on the first six months of 2008.
The independent daily Aberdeen Press and Journal series had an average circulation of 78,121, down 2.6% year on year and 2.5% on the first half of 2008.
DC Thomson's daily Dundee Courier and Advertiser series was down 5.5% to an average circulation of 69,414 during the last six months of last year.

Source: Guardian.co.uk