ABCs: Election campaign boosts quality dailies month on month

The general election campaign gave quality daily newspapers a mini-boost in April, according to the latest figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulation published today. The Independent, the Guardian and the Times all posted small month-on-month circulation rises in April. Year-on-year, however, the entire sector saw falls, with the Times, Telegraph and Guardian still suffering in comparison to figures for April 2009, which included large numbers of now-discarded bulks. The Guardian has also cut its overseas distribution by 16,000 copies since April last year. The Independent relaunched on 20 April under its new owner Alexander Lebedev and undertook a major sampling exercise, giving away 300,000 copies of a cutdown version of the paper each day, to the eve of the election. Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief of Guardian News & Media, said: "April's news agenda was extremely strong in the run-up to the general election, and the depth and quality of our round-the-clock journalism has been recognised with a very welcome and richly deserved rise in newspaper sales across both the Guardian and the Observer. In particular, our coverage of the first two televised leaders' debates saw large increases in sales of the Guardian." The Daily Telegraph Headline circulation: 683,220 Month-on-month change: -0.50% Year-on-year change: - 11.81% UK and Ireland paid-for circulation: 640,780 (94% of total) Overseas: 41,644 The Times Headline circulation: 506,997 Monthly: +0.91% Yearly: -14.18% UK and Ireland paid-for circulation: 477,123 (94%) Overseas: 29,874 The Financial Times Headline circulation: 386,590 Monthly: -3.66% Yearly: -8.19% UK and Ireland paid-for circulation: 77,981 (20%) Overseas: 276,045 The Guardian Headline circulation: 288,917 Monthly: +2.07% Yearly: -15.83% UK and Ireland paid-for circulation: 267,511 (93%) Overseas: 21,406 The Independent Headline circulation: 188,119 Monthly: +2.16% Yearly: -7.98% UK and Ireland paid-for circulation: 102,903 (55%) Overseas: 26,166 Headline circulation includes lesser rate sales, subscriptions, bulks – copies sold to airlines, rail companies, hotels and gyms for a nominal fee and given free to the public – and distribution in Ireland and overseas. UK and Ireland paid for circulation excludes bulks and overseas distribution • To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email [email protected] or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. • If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".