Circulation auditor may check into WSJ Europe

Georgina Prodhan and Jennifer Saba of Reuters write that a British newspaper circulation auditor may look back at a relationship between the Wall Street Journal Europe and a consulting firm that raises questions about the paper’s circulation.

Prodhan and Saba write, “The Audit Bureau of Circulations, which had earlier approved the sponsorship agreement, said it had recently looked at it again ‘based on some new evidence available.’

“‘There now appears to be additional new information which may give grounds for further investigation,’ ABC UK Chief Executive Jerry Wright said in an e-mailed statement.

“The Guardian newspaper reported on Wednesday that the WSJ Europe had used the Dutch firm, the Executive Learning Partnership, to secretly buy thousands of copies of its own paper, misleading advertisers about its true circulation.

“WSJ Europe publisher Andrew Langhoff resigned a day earlier over what the Journal said were ethical issues related to the paper’s relationship with ELP, which was not disclosed in articles that prominently mentioned the firm.”

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