About our distribution strategy

A shift in newspaper paradigm... plus, not all are equal

Free v. Paid
In the 21st century, this whole discussion of free versus paid circulation is a dead argument. It used to be in the past, paid papers were considered superior because people spent a quarter to read them.

In recent years, paid circulation is going the way of the dodo bird. Whether a newspaper is free or paid is now completely irrelevant. What matters is the quality of the publication, its readership and the makeup of its team members. Paid circulation throughout the United States has declined rapidly in past decades. Meanwhile free circulation continues to rise.

That said, you should also realize that...

Not all free papers are distributed equally.

Some free papers distribute via the “dump,” in which their “strategy” is to give papers to a delivery person and tell him or her to distribute in a certain area. He or she drops a few here, a few there, in front of businesses and offices, whether they want the paper . . . or not.

Then we have some free newspapers who offer "free home delivery." This strategy is to take the most demographically “attractive areas in the community and drop off a newspaper in each lawn or porch, whether they want the paper . . . or not.

Both strategies are good for showcasing "impressive” circulation figures and delicious CPM figures to advertisers. Meanwhile, unwanted newspapers are littered all over our merchant areas and neighborhoods. And don't even get us started on how the strategy of our competitors affects our environment.

The Daily Journal is starkly different in its distribution strategy.

For every one of our 2,500 distribution points, we have permission to deliver. We go only where we are wanted. We always bring newspapers into our locations when possible (only if they are closed, do we leave papers out front).

We audit ourselves every month, stringently working to make sure that newspapers are going where they're supposed to in the right quantities and to the right people.

There is a difference in how the Daily Journal delivers your advertising message to our readers. If you're looking for the spam version of print advertising, try one of our competitors.

However, if you’re looking for a targeted, permission-based free newspaper, give us a call.

Your ad dollars will thank you.