Daily circulation for the 618 newspapers reporting comparable multiday averages rose 0.7% through the end of March compared to the same period last year, fueled largely by increases in digital circulation and branded editions, according to recent data from the Audit Bureau of Circulations. On average, digital circulation now accounts for 14.2% of newspapers' total circulation mix, up from 8.7% in March '11. Digital circulation may be tablet or smartphone apps, PDF replicas, metered or restricted-access websites or e-reader editions. Branded editions -- which are defined as newspaper-owned products such as commuter, community, alternative-language, or Sunday Select type newspapers -- made up 4.5% of newspapers' total average circulation, up from 3.4% last year. Listed below are the top 15 U.S. newspapers by circulation through the end of March (Audit Bureau of Circulations).
| TOP 15 DAILY U.S. NEWSPAPERS BY AVG. CIRCULATION
THROUGH END OF MARCH |
| PAPER | PRINT | DIGITAL | BRANDED
EDITIONS | AVG. CIRC. | % +/- |
| Wall Street Journal | 1,566,027 | 552,288 | 0 | 2,118,315 | 0.0% |
| USA Today | 1,701,777 | 115,669 | 0 | 1,817,446 | -0.6% |
| N.Y. Times | 779,731 | 807,026 | 0 | 1,586,757 | 73.1% |
| L.A. Times | 489,514 | 100,221 | 26,840 | 616,575 | 1.9% |
| N.Y. Daily News | 400,061 | 156,470 | 23,105 | 579,636 | 9.2% |
| San Jose Mercury News | 139,825 | 66,213 | 369,748 | 575,786 | -0.3% |
| N.Y. Post | 408,579 | 146,748 | 0 | 555,327 | 6.2% |
| Washington Post | 467,450 | 40,165 | 0 | 507,615 | -7.8% |
| Chicago Sun-Times | 200,503 | 68,986 | 152,846 | 422,335 | 0.7% |
| Chicago Tribune | 387,217 | 27,373 | 0 | 414,590 | -5.2% |
| Dallas Morning News | 202,123 | 49,795 | 153,431 | 405,349 | 0.1% |
| Denver Post | 240,200 | 150,920 | 10,000 | 401,120 | 23.4% |
| Newsday | 284,357 | 113,616 | 0 | 397,973 | 33.2% |
| Houston Chronicle | 254,696 | 91,422 | 37,889 | 384,007 | 5.3% |
| Philadelphia Inquirer | 205,412 | 55,921 | 63,958 | 325,291 | -5.4% |
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NOTES: The paid/verified circulation model defines paid circulation as copies purchased by an individual recipient or a specialized distribution channel, such as business/traveler. Verified circulation includes much of what used to be reported in "other" paid circulation, including third-party copies and copies distributed to schools and newspaper employees.
