Utusan has been very much in the news for its sensationalist and racially tinged reporting. Less well known is the fact that the paper’s circulation has been sliding over the last four years.
According to Audit Bureau of Circulation (figures for West Malaysia publications for the period ending 31 December 2009), Utusan Malaysia’s daily circulation has dropped 21 per cent from 213,445 in 2006 to 169,548 in 2009. The group revenue of Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Bhd fell correspondingly from RM384m in 2006 to RM349m in 2009, according to Utusan’s Annual Report for 2009. This had an impact on its bottom line as well, as profit before tax plunged from RM21m to RM7m in the last four years. The firm’s performance was saved by sister publication Kosmo!’s steady rise in circulation from 100,798 in 2007 to 172,253 in 2009.
Berita Harian too fell from a circulation of 203,704 in 2006 to 154,868 in 2009 – a fall of 24 per cent. But the circulation of sister paper Harian Metro, like that of Kosmo!, jumped from 249,575 to 358,676 in the same period.
Mainstream English-language papers have not been spared the gloomy figures. The Star’s circulation has fallen from 310,008 in 2006 to 286,857 in 2009. Likewise, New Straits Times sales have slumped from 139,468 to 111,158 in the last four years.
Free newspaper theSun bucked the trend, its circulation soaring from 174,179 in 2006 to 300,587 in 2009.
Chinese-language newspapers generally did all right, Sin Chew‘s, China Press’ and Oriental Daily News’ circulations all rising over the same period. Only Guang Ming recorded a small drop in circulation.
The top selling daily newspapers are Sin Chew (382,000), followed by Harian Metro (359,000) and The Star (287,000). The best-selling weekend editions are Metro Ahad (406,000) and Mingguan Malaysia (370,000), along with Sin Chew.
All the above figures are based on ABC West Malaysia publications figures only. Figures for Sarawak and Sabah are reported separately.
From the recent trend, it appears that the future of blatantly pro-BN newspapers that are perceived to be sycophantic does not look encouraging as readers shift towards online news sources.
The only papers that seem to be coping well with this shift are the gossip or life-style tabloids, a free newspaper that is a bit more independent (theSun), a business paper like The Edge (circulation of around 21,000-25,000), and the slightly more independent Chinese-language newspapers.
What do you think?
bagusle..bersedia pulak untuk tutup kedai,agaknya macammana rasanya..ready untuk cari kerja lain.
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Utusan Malaysia nose-dived from one of the nation’s top circulation papers to a disreputable rag, falling from a height of a daily circulation of 350,000 to less than half the numbers – as Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) figures for the full year ended June 30, 2010 showed its circulation had dropped to 170,558 as compared to 181,346 the previous year.
In other words, fewer people are reading it now.
It is getting irrelevant.
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Why are people still buying these papers? A campaign should be started to get people go MSM paperless.
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Paperless, a day a week for a start. Save Earth, Save Malaysia!
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No need to read MSM as it carries “yesterday’s news” and the commentary is lop-sided.
If I read one, mostly for advertisement of good deals.
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Star is mistaken, most people whom I know buy the Star to check out the best deals that Tesco, Carrefour and Giant offer due to the rising cost of groceries, etc.
In the process, they merely skimp the news section.
Above all, Mr Netto, the real problem is they (appear to have) have lost (or) got rid of (many) good and capable journalists including editors for obious reasons.
If PR forms the government, it should make it a point to bring them back, or at least hire them as Press Secretaries. Ask around and their names will pop up (females included.)
Currently, it is learnt that even (a certain journalist) is hired to handle only courts or so, when the media industry are aware that this man is capable of much more. The industry and readers had credited him and his team for their handling of that tabloid (you know which one I am sure) in just a year when the management changed. Pity in our country intelligence and talents are overlooked over …. (again I refrain from saying it) be it in the public or private sector. So all are equally guilty! In NST, the Groud Editor’s post and other key editors position (appear to be) bound by NEP! It is ok if it is done in national interest, and to make people rich. But, NST may be wasting some talents in the process. Hence the industry and the country suffer.
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I browsed utusan Malaysia today (10 Sept) and it confirmed my belief the sad news of the drop of Malaysia in World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index (3rd year running, slipping two notches down to 26th spot out of 139 countries) was not reported at all.
I pity its readers, for they will never get to read about the sad truth.
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[...] read this monthMOST READUtusan, BH, Star, NST circulations drop (4259)Malaysia Today down after major exposes (3304)Almost zero production after RM22b spent [...]
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Look at the number, it show that Malaysian actually thirst for information.
BN government work hard and lock it, together, it freeze up the media business economic potential. I bet Malaysia can easily support doubles of the current mainstream media number, which double the current media business job opportunities,incomes,economies.
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