Newspapers
Circulation figure is the number of copies of the newspaper or publication that are distributed in a particular day. When put succinctly, it is the daily average number of copies of a publication. The number of copies are usually called print run. Circulation figure is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulation or subscription. Copies not sold or unsold copies represent those copies that aid visibility on the newsstands and the streets. Michaelson and Stacks, 1 st ed., 2010, p.88 simply stated that circulation figure is the “number of copies a publication has distributed as opposed to read”.
Newspapers’ market development
Circulation figures are different from sold figures and both are generally lower than readership figures. In other words, readership figures are usually higher than circulation and sold figures because of the known assumption that a typical copy of the newspaper is read by more than one person. In Nigeria, an average of nine persons read a copy of any particular newspaper.
While it is true that circulation figures cannot be truly established or known without consideration for the online readers, this can be faulted on the ground that most of the online publications are being accessed freely, without any form of premium. It is a statement of fact that the reach through internet cannot be situated appropriately because news items are being accessed without any attached conditions.
Circulation is one of the principal factors used to secure copy & space patronages and set advertising rates. In many countries, circulations are audited by independent bodies such as the Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) to assure advertisers that a given newspaper does indeed reach the number of people claimed by the publisher. Nigerian media is a member of ABC by “mouth” and not by compliance or implementation.
In fact, Nigeria seems to be the only country in the world where you do not have a reliable independent data for media planning. For the print media all over the world, the report of Bureau of Circulation has always been the bedrock for media planning. Regrettably, media staff are trained not to disclose the print run and when it becomes necessary to do so, the figures should be inflated.
At a point in the history of Nigerian media industry, Advertisers Association of Nigeria (ADVAN) set up a panel to establish the newspapers’ strength in the country when it was discovered that media owners were not saying the truth about their circulation and sales figures. It was reliably gathered that Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) was invited to be part of the exercise but the offer was turned down. This happened when Chris Doghudje was the chairman of Advertising Practitioners’ council of Nigeria (APCON). NPAN disagreed with the outcome of the exercise but ADVAN stood by the report and challenged the newspapers that feel aggrieved to counter them by agreeing to the establishment of an ABC like it’s done in other countries.
Misleading media planners with false claims is a prevalent unethical practice. It must be known to media owners that it is easier to get the circulation figures i.e the supplies and sales records with margin error of less than 5% by reaching out to all the newspaper distribution centres that are spread across the country. Newspaper distribution centres are where all newspaper and magazine organizations drop their copies for onward distribution to agents and vendors across all the sales locations.
There is no justification for the Nigerian media industry not to record up to 150,000 copies as daily sales in a country of about 200 million population. The situation is highly pathetic. Challenges of crashing local economy, reduction in the purchasing power, technological changes, etc ought not to have messed up the circulation figures to this extent if the contents’ providers meet the expectations of the target audience. On the other hand, in some developing countries, circulation is increasing as these factors are more than cancelled out by rising incomes, population, and literacy.
Media managers need to know that telling lies about their circulation figures is doing more damages to their businesses. The consequences of lying are you will lose the trust of advertisers and when you lose the trust of others, you lose your value as a company, nobody will believe you and if someone lies to you and you find out, you will be hurt, so, you should understand that in the same token if you tell a lie, it hurts others.
Finally, lying could ruin a business relationship with trust, reliability, and credibility broken down uncontrollably. Lying about circulation figures is an unethical business practice. It causes grave harm, directly or indirectly as this has made some newspapers to turn themselves into monumental wastes.
Abiola Ayankunbi is MD/CEO at AbingMO3 Marketing Management Consultancy
0802 305 1315
abiolaayankunbi@yahoo.com
