Sunday World Registers Biggest Decline In Circulation For Weekend Papers

After reading a story on Sunday World about Bujy stealing some guy's man over the weekend, I became a tad curious to know how the paper is doing in terms of circulation... because I simply could not fathom what motivates this type of journalism. So I checked the numbers and they are not good.

According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations of South Africa Q2 2014 report as provided by the organisation in August of 2014, Sunday World was the title showing the largest decline in circulation for weekend newspapers.

Sunday world is followed by Ilanga Le Sonto and Beeld. The tabloid paper attracted a prior year variable on - 16.33%. Last quarter the variable was at 6%. 

In numerical comparison, Sunday World sold a lower 106 812 papers this year to a  127 659 in the same period last year. This current number is lower than last quarter's sales of 113 757, showing that the paper's number is sliding further down with ever quarter. 

So, if the justification for creating stories out of nothing is any motivated by sales then clearly the move is not working for the paper.The more frivolous stories they print, less people buy the paper, it would seem. 

To be fair, according to the aforementioned report, presented by Gordon Patterson, the Vice President of the ABC, the challenges facing the South African economy in 2014, coupled with a sluggish growth in our GDP and growing labour issues, means that publishers and purchasers will be "cash strapped for the foreseeable future" — meaning less money will be spent by the publishers on content and fewer people will buy publications. 

The bureau also reports that the reality for the daily press is more depressed than the figures show and weekly press is also in decline. Your favorite magazine will also be showing a slight decline in sales.