AAP is reporting that USA Today, the #1 selling newspaper in the US, is set to announce a 17% decline in circulation. While the decline will be blamed on the economy, there must be an acceptance, behind closed doors, that it is in part due to disruption caused by new channels. USA Today is one of many newspapers available in electronic form on the Amazon Kindle e-reader. It is ranked third in the newspaper segment of the Kindle store.
Four days ago I posted here my thoughts about driving over the counter sales of newspapers in the Australian newsagency channel. Smart publishers would be proactive and engage with us as business partners on a shared challenge. Instead, many remain disconnected and focus on gimmicks to drive short term circulation spurts to deliver better numbers.