… involves pseudo-educational groups, so UD will cover it.
The story is both complicated and just breaking, so give me a bit.
*******************************
Jack Shafer has the best take on the thing so far.
[E]ven by the low standards of the industry, the Wall Street Journal Europe circ shenanigans seem pretty wild. According to the Guardian, the Wall Street Journal Europe had a circulation of 75,000 in 2010 of which 31,000 of which were sold at a steep discount for distribution to students, who “may or may not have read them.”
What’s the bigger scandal? That the WSJE had a pitiful circulation of 75,000 in 2010? Or that 41 percent of that circulation was ginned up in an arrangement that the Audit Bureau of Circulation deemed “legitimate”…?
October 16th, 2011 at 3:34AM
If you are interested in newspaper circulation issues, Margaret, here is an interesting fact:
In France, a significant part of the circulation of the national newspapers (e.g. Le Figaro, la Croix and the weekly Canard enchaîné) goes through airlines (you know, these “free” newspapers that you can get at the gate) and universities, particularly the elite “grandes écoles”. As far as I understand, the first are sold to the airlines at discount prices, the second are given out for free. As far as I understand, the idea is to increase circulation and, for the second, to give students an incentive to buy a subscription when they go work in industry.
October 16th, 2011 at 4:10AM
DM: Yes, I’d read that somewhere… It’s clear that when it comes to circulation, newspapers and magazines are always sort of stepping over lines…