Across-the-board sales falls for Scotland’s local, weekly newspapers

WITH just a couple of exceptions, sales figures for Scotland’s weekly newspapers continue to plummet, some by more than ten per cent, according to latest figures.

Says the Audit Bureau of Circulation, in its half-yearly report, issued yesterday midday, the weekly local newspapers market is across-the-board down, compared to this time last year.

As reported by allmediascotland.com yesterday, it’s a picture replicated among Scotland’s regional dailies, including evening newspapers, the Evening Times and the Edinburgh Evening News.

The few remaining free local newspapers in Scotland have tended to fare better. But among the paid-fors, the only increases, year-on-year, belong to the Border Telegraph (0.2 per cent up) and the Milngavie & Bearsden Herald (up 0.5 per cent).

The Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser registers no change in its numbers.

Says Martin Little, managing editor of Romanes Media Group’s Scottish weeklies: “Border Telegraph editor, Stuart Laundy, and his team have done an excellent job over the past six months gathering and writing the stories that matter to their readers.

“Their hard work goes to show what can be achieved through quality community journalism.

“The Border Telegraph was recently relaunched with new sections tailored to the region it serves and a new design. This has been well received by readers, and we hope will assist in growing the circulation further over the next year.”

The full listing of paid-for weekly titles in Scotland reads as follows:

Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser – an average 12,465 during the six months up to the end of June, down 7.8 per cent, year-on-year

Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser – an average 7,387 during the six months up to the end of June, no change

Annandale Herald 2,781 down 1.7 per cent

Annandale Observer 5,762 down 1.8 per cent

The Arbroath Herald (inc Broughty Ferry, Carnoustie, Monifieth Guide & Gazette) 8,118 down 7.9 per cent

Ayrshire Post 20,042 down 9.7 per cent

Berwick Advertiser 6,079 down 7.5 per cent

Berwickshire News & East Lothian Herald 4,506 down 7.7 per cent

Blairgowrie Advertiser 2,003 down 4.3 per cent

Border Telegraph 3,532 up 0.2 per cent

Brechin Advertiser 2,390 down 9.2 per cent

The Buchan Observer 5,627 down 5.3 per cent

The Buteman 2,644 down 3.2 per cent

Carrick Gazette 2,078 down 6.1 per cent

Central Fife Times & Advertiser 5,177 down 6.4 per cent

Cumbernauld News & Kilsyth Chronicle 7,639 down 11.1 per cent

Deeside Piper 4,782 down 9.1 per cent

Dumfries & Galloway Standard (Fri) 12,717 down 6.5 per cent

Dumfries & Galloway Standard (Wed) 7,347 down 9.1 per cent

Dunfermline Press & West of Fife Advertiser 15,156 down 3.3 per cent

East Fife Mail 8,765 down 7.4 per cent

East Kilbride News 9,032 down four per cent

East Lothian Courier 12,025 down 2.8 per cent

East Lothian News 3,390 down 6.2 per cent

The Ellon Times and Inverurie Herald 2,714 down 8.5 per cent

Falkirk Herald 22,230 down 1.8 per cent

Fife Free Press 13,801 down 1.3 per cent

Fife Herald News & St. Andrews Citizen 10,743 down 4.4 per cent

Forfar Dispatch 3,985 down 11.3 per cent

The Fraserburgh Herald 4,171 down six per cent

The Galloway Gazette 4,185 down 6.4 per cent

The Galloway News 7,103 down 5.5 per cent

Glenrothes Gazette 4,967 down 2.9 per cent

Hamilton Advertiser 17,618 down 7.5 per cent

Hawick News and Scottish Border Chronicle 4,961 down 1.9 per cent

Irvine Herald and Kilwinning Chronicle 7,693 down 9.4 per cent

Kilmarnock Standard (Ayrshire Weekly News and Irvine Valley News) 14,126 down 5.1 per cent

Kirkintilloch Herald 9,322 down 4.5 per cent

Lanark & Carluke Gazette 9,137 down 7.1 per cent

Lennox Herald 9,004 down 3.7 per cent

Linlithgowshire Journal & Gazette 6,994 down 5.1 per cent

Mearns Leader and Kincardineshire Observer 3,933 down 7.3 per cent

Midlothian Advertiser 6,205 down 0.2 per cent

Milngavie & Bearsden Herald 5,374 up 0.5 per cent

Moffat News 1,000 down 4.3 per cent

Montrose Review 3,727 down 10.3 per cent

Motherwell Times & Bellshill Speaker 10,923 down six per cent

Orcadian 9,263 down 0.5 per cent

Peeblesshire News 4,496 down four per cent

Perthshire Advertiser (Fri) 11,639 down 6.7 per cent

Perthshire Advertiser (Tue) 5,812 down 8.4 per cent

Rutherglen Reformer 3,277 down 4.5 per cent

Southern Reporter 13,953 down 6.9 per cent

Stirling Observer (Fri) 3,098 down 5.8 per cent

Stirling Observer (Wed) 7,322 down 8.5 per cent

Stornoway Gazette and West Coast Advertiser 9,906 down 4.7 per cent

Strathearn Herald 1,940 down five per cent

West Highland Free Press 7,907 down 3.9 per cent

The West Lothian Courier 11,613 down 12.7 per cent

Wishaw Press 6,729 down 10.5 per cent