The Wall Street Journal is seen in this file photo. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, file)NEW YORK (AP) – U.S. newspapers reported a slight increase in circulation the past year as more readers purchased digital subscriptions, according to a media industry group.
Average daily circulation in the six months that ended on March 31, rose nearly 1 percent for the 618 newspapers that participated in the Audit Bureau of Circulations semi-annual study, which was released Tuesday.
Digital circulation, which includes subscribers who access content on tablet computers, smartphones, e-readers and websites, accounted for 14.2 percent of overall circulation. That was up from 8.6 percent in the October-March period a year earlier.
Demand for digital content helped offset a decline in print circulation. Weekday digital circulation grew 61.6 percent while print circulation fell 6.7 percent. Circulation of so-called branded editions, such as alternative-language editions of newspapers, increased 33.7 percent.
The Wall Street Journal remains the No. 1 U.S. newspaper, with average weekday circulation of 2.1 million, about the same as a year earlier. The Journal has more than 1.5 million print subscribers and nearly 560,000 digital subscribers, according to the report.