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?
What about Tamil Nesan and Nanban?
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The ABC circulation report did not mention them.
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The thing most people don’t get is that once circulation falls this far, you have to cut cost like crazy that eats into your product quality. If the numbers fall below 100K, they have no choice but to walk away from serious news, you can’t do serious newspaper with 100K, you go Tabloid to survive. Utusan and BH have to merge, they have no choice.
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Xinhua news will rule the world.
Read about this in Newsweek magazine.
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With today’s Internet information age, newspapers must not take their readers for granted or treat them as suckers. Today’s print newspapers are also not cheap to buy and what more with (lousy) content, why would anybody want to pay money to read….
Utusan owners are not bothered about readers’ views and preferences because they probably get subsidised by the stable advertisement support from their political masters. Time will tell how long this can go on. Based on history, it won’t be too long.
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Hi everyone,
Is it any surprise that the mainstream media you mentioned, except the Sun, is continuing to suffer a drop in their circulation?
And we have the PM, tongue-in-cheek, saying trust in the MSM for these papers report on facts! Can the PM then explain how is it that the MSM are so silent on the ongoing Realmild court case, where an UMNO MP from a Northern State testified that it is common for top UMNO leadership and/or Senior Ministers to direct Malay captains of the corporate world to hold shares on behalf of UMNO individuals and UMNO-related companies!!?
This may explain how the RM52 billions alloted bumiputra shares had been siphoned-off!! The poor bumiputras remain as poor or even worse than before!
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These mainstream papers don’t really have to stay profitable to carry on their publication. Basically they are more like political parties mouth pieces
They also can easily be financed by their political parties’ funds and revenue from government agencies and GLC’s advertisements.
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Agree. Another thing is that their newspapers are widely distributed in various government departments and private sector thus ensuring a steady flow of money at all times. hence why the worry as long as they are the only authorised papers in the country, public news, advertisment has to go to them no matter what. Another thing is, they are also part of the education system as well. I recall the time when for the purpose of learning Malay, we were asked to subscribe to either Utusan Melayu or Berita Harian. I asked why not share Malay stories as there are many enterprising and creative authors out there but teacher say cannot. Eventually most of us took Berita Harian as the news paper was more attractive, more pictures and more steamy stories (recall that time there was always a small column at the bottom of the front page writing ‘naughty’ news for the day
)
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I’m sure they will just write it off as a global trend.
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Change of government is also a global trend.
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great news for speech defenders : ). BN should stick to one propaganda print ?
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The newspapers here have a free ride. Unlike other countries, where there are so many English dailies, here, in Malaysia, the advertisement profit pie has to be shared between just a handful of players.
For example, in the UK, population merely double the population of Malaysia, about 60 mil, advertisement revenue is shared between nearly 20 English dailies.
Here, population- 30 million but ALL the advertisement revenue is shared amongst just a handful of English dailes, or more precisely said, one or two English dailies.
But sad to say, circulation is dropping.
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Not just print media. TV/Radio media mainly under Media Prima (TV3, TV9, 8TV, NTV7 etc).
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Even near monopolistic, they are losing circulation!!!
SERVE THEM RIGHT.
The Law of Opposite Works For The Greedy & Liars.
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Drop In Revenue? You Ask For It Because Of:
= no independent reporting
= biased, paranoid coverage
= half-truth and nothing but half-truth and possibly no truth
= provocative, insulting, talking down to readers
= arrogance to the needs of profitable advertisers and ad agencies (for lower ad rates)
= unrealistic price in a realistic reader market of media choices
= unfriendly treatment of ad agencies which rightly siphon
ad budgets to friendly, cooperative and flexible alternative media
= reality sucks for print media (better close shop)
But the Sun is Shining Bright & Sunny! Want to know why? The opposite of the above explain it all.
Now who dare says The Sun is the same as The Star? Not even Stephen Hawking!
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Any idea how subscription news on the Web has been going over the same period? How has mkini done?
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I’ve stopped buying all these papers. Even if I got hold of one, I just look at the ads.
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Exactly the reason why we shouldn’t buy those lousy newspapers anymore — too many ads and more ads!…
It’s pretty bad with The Star, I believe. Almost every page carries an ad. Sometimes, those Giant Hypermart ads take up 3 full pages! …
I only go through this lousy paper when I can read for free.
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Juicy news in the tabloid sells more than the … letters of Awang Selamat & Ridhuan Tee?
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I just wish that those wastepapers’ circulations will drop to zero
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I say ‘IT’S ABOUT TIME & SERVES THEM RIGHT!’
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Hi Anil,
I requested Nutgraph to compile the list of scandals wanton wasteages corruptions etc and make it a running total so we can have an easy reference to what had befall Malaysia. Perhaps a list of important issues?
Hopefully then Anil Netto’s blog will become a reference for others to quote and link to?
Yes? No? Please
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My, that’s going to be a very long list. We might need an encyclopedia to list down all the wastage and corruption!
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Also suggesting a “count-up” of pending cases/investigations/NFAs and “whatever-happened-to”s.
Malaysians forget easily… but I want to remember:
1. Since when no action has been taken regarding facts surrounding Khir Toyo’s income and mansion,
2. Since when no further action taken on Lingam’s case after recommendations from Royal Commission
3. Since when Bala’s Statutory first came out and since when Baginda has left Msia.
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I congratulate myself from staying off MSM … papers!
At last!, what a wonderful piece of news…
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I only read online news. Sometimes I pickup newspapers specifically to scoop up dog (poop) outside my gate.
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What about Harakah, Suara Keadilan, Rocket circulations
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Not included in ABC figures. I don’t think potential advertisers really interested in their circulation!
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The end is near for MSM….Not really 4 Chinese media though, they are a bit more or much more independent…
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For the last 10 years, the MSM has been losing credibility as a source of info.
But somehow they can’t get out of the rut and do some decent reporting. Najib’s call to trust the MSM is a reflection of this mentality and ties in with the MSM editors’ in missing this same point.
Take away government department subscription to Utusan, NST and Berita Harian, we’re probably looking at bare bones.
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Have you considered how well these newspapers’ websites are doing? If their readers have switched from print to online, the declining circulation of their print editions may not be the whole story.
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Advertisers don’t want to have to explain themselves Anil, and hence there is no ad money flowing into in-house(members only) Harakah, Rocket and Suara. Matter of fact, even vendors thread cautiously to decide whether to carry such publications – for fear of harassment from relevant agencies.
If anything, the fear of repercussion is always there as we live in a quasi police state – no !
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Yes Utusan, Star, NST & BH sales should drop.
After all who wants to read a politically motivated newspaper that publish (untruths or distortions) and one sided stories.
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The more prices go up, the less money people have to buy newspapers. BN is caught in a vicious cycle.
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Money mah!
Look at The Star, every year, big bonuses, big incentives.
But stupid business mentality and strategy just b’cos they think they are monopolistic in English print media.
They will have to close shop sooner! The better.
Let The Sun shine!!!
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Q: Do anyone know what Harakah’s numbers are over the same period??
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Who wants to read propaganda which insults the intelligence of its readers? There is a limit to which people can accept pure bull spin. That limit has been reached a long time already but these newspapers are still in denial mode. They can try pushing their luck further but it’s not going to get any better and more people are going to get turned off. Why don’t they try the TRUTH for a change instead of trying to sell the public their twisted version of “reality”?
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