NEWSPAPER ABCs: The Sun rises back above 3m circulation mark

The Sun was the only national daily newspaper to register a double-digit rise in circulation between December and January, leaping 10.5% as it eclipsed the three-million mark for the first time since August last year.

The Sun: returns above three-million circulation mark
The Sun: returns above three-million circulation mark

According to the latest newspaper ABC figures, all national newspapers, except for the Financial Times, were up in circulation on the previous month, profiting from a strong news agenda in January and a quiet December.

Big news stories in January included the Jo Yeates murder investigation and a string of reports around the WikiLeaks saga.

The Sun recorded a circulation of 3,001,822 in January, putting on nearly 250,000 extra copies since the previous month.

The Daily Mirror recorded a circulation of 1,194,097, up 5.35% on the previous month, while Richard Desmond’s Daily Star upped its circulation 2.90% to 734,311.

The quality press also had a strong January. The Independent reported a circulation of 185,035, up 5.73% on the previous month.

But its circulation was inflated by giving away 73,120 bulks in the month – 10,000 more than it did in December.

The Independent's new sister paper, which included the distribution of 7,770 bulk copies- which are sold to airlines, hotels and gyms but given away for free.

Rupert Murdoch's The Times increased its circulation by 1.96% to 457,250, the Daily Telegraph by 3.15% to 651,184, and The Guardian was up 5.47% at 279,308.

ABC said the circulation data for the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday had not been submitted in time for inclusion in the report. It will be updated when the figures are received.

Richard Desmond’s Daily Express was up 2.6% to 636,875 in the month.

Every daily national newspaper registered a year-on-year fall in circulation. The steepest fall was reported by The Times, down 10.03%.

UPDATE 16.20: The Daily Mail's circulation was 2,136,568, up 5.2% on the month.

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