Regional papers are feeling the pinch with a year on year decline in the order of 8%. But some papers are really feeling the squeeze. As a group, of those that are audited, they are back nearly 30,000 copies. The table below is a bit information overload – but it’s worth looking at the data at that level.
| Jan-June ’08 | Jan-June ’09 | +/- ‘000 | +/- % | |
| The Anglo Celt | 13,836 | 13,247 | -589 | -4% |
| The Argus | 11,477 | 10,591 | -886 | -8% |
| Bray People | 5,208 | 4,836 | -372 | -7% |
| Carlow People | 4,599 | 4,608 | 9 | 0% |
| Connacht Sentinel | 5,119 | n/a | ||
| Connacht Tribune | 24,407 | n/a | ||
| The Corkman | 8,017 | 7,504 | -513 | -6% |
| Donegal Democrat (Thurs) | 12,572 | 11,978 | -594 | -5% |
| Donegal Democrat (Tues) | 8,882 | 7,970 | -912 | -10% |
| Donegal News Friday | 11,977 | 11,541 | -436 | -4% |
| Donegal News Monday | 3,630 | 3,873 | 243 | 7% |
| Donegal News | 15,607 | 15,141 | -466 | -3% |
| Donegal Post | 4,977 | 4,257 | -720 | -14% |
| Drogheda Independent | 10,020 | 8,801 | -1,219 | -12% |
| The Echo | 9,263 | 7,792 | -1,471 | -16% |
| Enniscorthy Guardian | 7,453 | 7,361 | -92 | -1% |
| Fingal Independent | 5,432 | 4,776 | -656 | -12% |
| Foinse | 4,359 | 3,746 | -613 | -14% |
| Inish Times | 6,070 | 5,486 | -584 | -10% |
| The Kerryman | 25,089 | 22,797 | -2,292 | -9% |
| Kilkenny People | 15,526 | 14,393 | -1,133 | -7% |
| Leinster & Offaly Express | 15,457 | 14,186 | -1,271 | -8% |
| Leinster Leader | 11,969 | 10,277 | -1,692 | -14% |
| Leitrim Observer | 8,064 | 7,616 | -448 | -6% |
| Leitrim Post | 4,245 | 4,245 | ||
| Limerick Leader (Weekend) | 21,102 | 19,034 | -2,068 | -10% |
| Longford Leader | 9,079 | 8,749 | -330 | -4% |
| The Mayo News | 10,511 | 10,229 | -282 | -3% |
| Meath Chronicle | 15,249 | 13,294 | -1,955 | -13% |
| Midland Tribune (Series) | 10,136 | n/a | ||
| Munster Express | 10,005 | 8,279 | -1,726 | -17% |
| Nationalist & Munster Advertiser | 13,791 | 12,731 | -1,060 | -8% |
| Nenagh Guardian | 8,237 | 7,906 | -331 | -4% |
| New Ross Standard | 6,303 | 6,079 | -224 | -4% |
| Roscommon Herald | 9,032 | 8,410 | -622 | -7% |
| Sligo Champion | 11,868 | 10,846 | -1,022 | -9% |
| Tipperary Star | 9,072 | 8,468 | -604 | -7% |
| The Tuam Herald | 9,355 | 9,267 | -88 | -1% |
| Westmeath Examiner | 8,897 | 7,656 | -1,241 | -14% |
| Wexford People | 12,698 | 12,280 | -418 | -3% |
| Wicklow People | 12,552 | 11,579 | -973 | -8% |
| Total | 391,480 | 361,829 | -29,651 | -8% |
But a closer inspection reveals an interesting nugget. Of the papers that took the brunt of the hits, nearly half the total decline, six are from Leinster. I’m not reading too much into that, but it seems a high concentration in that province.
| Title | JJ 08 | JJ 09 | ‘0000 | % |
| Munster Express | 10,005 | 8,279 | -1,726 | -17% |
| The Echo | 9,263 | 7,792 | -1,471 | -16% |
| Donegal Post | 4,977 | 4,257 | -720 | -14% |
| Leinster Leader | 11,969 | 10,277 | -1,692 | -14% |
| Foinse | 4,359 | 3,746 | -613 | -14% |
| Westmeath Examiner | 8,897 | 7,656 | -1,241 | -14% |
| Meath Chronicle | 15,249 | 13,294 | -1,955 | -13% |
| Drogheda Independent | 10,020 | 8,801 | -1,219 | -12% |
| Fingal Independent | 5,432 | 4,776 | -656 | -12% |
| Donegal Democrat (Tues) | 8,882 | 7,970 | -912 | -10% |
| Limerick Leader (Weekend) | 21,102 | 19,034 | -2,068 | -10% |