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
