US newspaper circulation down 5

The latest decline was not as steep as the 8.7 per cent drop seen in the previous reporting period,which ran from October 2009 through March of this year.

Sunday circulation fell 4.5 per cent in the April-September period. That smaller than the 6.5 per cent decline in the six months before that.

Several trends factor in the decline. There8217;s the rise of free news on the Web. And publishers have been looking to offset losses in advertising revenue by raising news stand and subscription prices.

Some newspapers have reduced delivery to unprofitable areas.