WSJ now largest paper based on weekday circulation

Shira Ovide of The Wall Street Journal reports that the business newspaper has passed USA Today in terms of weekday circulation and become the country’s No. 1 newspaper.

Ovide writes, “The Wall Street Journal, owned by News Corp., has recently been the nation’s second-largest newspaper by circulation. Last year it reported circulation of just over two million weekday copies, based on the average for the six-month period ended September 2008. After USA Today’s memo, the Journal said it is now the largest U.S. newspaper by weekday circulation.

“USA Today, owned by Gannett Co., said it expects to report a decline in average weekday circulation of about 398,000 copies for the six months ended in September, compared with the six months ended September 2008. That would take circulation down to 1.9 million copies from 2.3 million, if measured by the most recent figures released by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

“The paper has been hit by a slowdown in business travel, which diminishes its historic strength in copies sold to hotels. In a memo Friday to employees, Publisher David Hunke said he expects the paper’s circulation to rebound as the economy does.”

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