The Alliance for Audited Media receives data on newspaper circulation. The Wall Street Journal has the highest cumulative daily average circulation in America, with 2,378,827 copies sold as of March 31, 2013, followed by The New York Times with 1,865,318 and USA Today with 1,674,306. The Los Angeles Times ranks first among local newspapers with a total average daily circulation of 3,761,544.
These three newspapers account for almost half of all newspaper circulation in the United States. Other notable newspapers include The Chicago Tribune (third), The Philadelphia Inquirer (fourth), The Boston Globe (tenth), and The Washington Post (twelfth).
Newspapers are published daily or weekly. They cover news from national events to crime reports to sports scores. Many newspapers publish an online version of their paper called a "web site". Others post only part of their paper online. These include arts and entertainment sections such as Theater News and Music Reviews from mainstream newspapers such as The New York Times or Chicago Tribune.
In addition to these general-interest newspapers, many cities have newspapers that focus specifically on local news. These include city newspapers such as The Dallas Morning News and San Francisco Chronicle and county papers such as The Palm Beach Post and The Virginian-Pilot.
Most newspapers are owned by companies that also own broadcast stations or television networks.
Top ten newspapers in terms of circulation
Newspaper | Primary service area | Circulation |
---|---|---|
USA Today | National | 1,621,091 |
The Wall Street Journal | National | 1,011,200 |
The New York Times | National | 483,701 |
New York Post | New York metropolitan area | 426,129 |
United States' Top 100 Newspapers
Rank | Newspaper | Circulation |
---|---|---|
1. | USA Today (Arlington, Va.) | 2,278,022 |
2. | Wall Street Journal (New York, N.Y.) | 2,062,312 |
3. | Times (New York, N.Y.) | 1,120,420 |
4. | Times (Los Angeles) | 815,723 |
The Wall Street Journal: With over 2.1 million copies in daily circulation, The Wall Street Journal outnumbers even The New York Times as the country's most widely circulated newspaper. It is also the largest business newspaper by staff size and is the highest paid newspaper in the world.
The New York Times: With more than 2.5 million copies daily, The New York Times is the largest newspaper in the United States. It has the widest distribution of any newspaper in the United States, available in nearly every city across the country. It is also the most read newspaper online.
Los Angeles Times: The Los Angeles Times is an English language daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, United States. It is the largest newspaper in California and the 16th largest in the United States. The paper's editor is Patrick McCarthy. Its executive director is Phyllis Matsumoto Beecher.
Chicago Tribune: The Chicago Tribune is a daily newspaper that has been published since 1847 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It has the second-largest print circulation of any newspaper in the state of Illinois and is the largest privately owned newspaper company in the state.
San Francisco Chronicle: The San Francisco Chronicle is a daily newspaper published in San Francisco, California, United States.
Top 8 Daily Newspapers in the United States
With over 2.2 million subscribers, The Wall Street Journal is America's largest newspaper by paid circulation. The Journal earns more than $750 million a year, which makes it one of the most profitable newspapers in the world.
The Journal's revenue comes from advertising, subscription fees, and online sales. Its net income after taxes and other expenses is about $350 million per year.
The Journal has eight employees for every mile of printed paper. Because so many people read the Journal online or via their phones, they don't need to buy as much print media as others.
In addition to being one of the most profitable newspapers, The Wall Street Journal is also one of the biggest news organizations in the United States. It was founded in 1884 by E.W. Scripps as the Ohio Republican. In 1969, it merged with the Detroit News, which had been founded by another family member, John W. Daniel.
Both papers were conservative and focused on business news. But under the Daniel family, the Detroit News began to shift its focus toward local news. This move helped make the Journal one of the first big newspaper chains in the country.
The Top Ten New York Daily Newspapers in Terms of Circulation (NYC)
Since 1881, the Los Angeles Times has been in print. With a readership of over 468,000, the Los Angeles-based daily is the fourth most frequently distributed newspaper in the United States, down from over 1.1 million at its height. The L.A. Times is the largest daily newspaper publisher in California.
The New York Times is also widely read and often cited as an authority on world news. It was established in 1851 and is based in New York City. The paper has four daily sections: News Desk, Opinions Pages, Business Desk and Sports Desk. In addition, it publishes Weekly Reader, a magazine that combines news with articles by prominent authors.
Washington Post is another large daily newspaper that is published in Washington D.C. and has been since 1877. It is owned by Jeff Bezos who also owns Amazon.com. The Post has three sections: News, Opinion, and Metro. Its website, wpost.com, is ranked third among local websites by Alexa.
Finally, there's the Chicago Tribune, which was founded in 1847 and is based in Chicago. It is the largest American newspaper to not be located in New York or San Francisco. The Tribune has two sections: News and Sports. Its website, chicagotribune.com, is ranked seventh among local websites by Alexa.