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The two Uganda mainstream English newspapers, The New Vision and Daily Monitor, combined, sold 5% less newspapers in Q1, 2019 compared to a year ago, in Q1, 2018.
According the credible Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC), South Africa, the two papers, sold 42,644 copies in Q1, 2019 compared to 44,787 copies in Q1, 2018.
Their weekend editions- Sunday Vision and Sunday Monitor, sold 12.8% less copies- down to 26,104 copies from USD29,919 copies.
Of the dailies, Daily Monitor registered a higher quarterly drop- 6.8% down to 16,638 copies from 17,857 copies. The New Vision reduced by 3.4% to 26,006 copies from 26,930 copies.
Sunday Monitor copies declined by 12.2% (12,320 copies to 10,816 copies) while Sunday Vision reduced 13.1%- from 17,599 copies to 15,288 copies
Bukedde however posted mixed results opening at 34,477 copies, reaching an all-time high of 44,767 copies in Q3 2018. Copies sold then declined, reaching 34,115 at the end of Q1, 2019.
Over the last 12 years, since 2007 the two English dailies combined, have lost 28% in copy sales, from 59,279 copies to 42,193 copies while the 2 weekenders -Sunday Vision & Sunday Monitor combined, have lost 56.4% in copy sales- from 59,897 copies to 26,104 copies.
Bukkedde on the other hand has grown copies sold by 118.9% from 32,464 copies to 15,583 to34,115 copies
This is despite the population growing by 49.3% from 30.6 million people in 2007 to an estimated 45.7 million people in 2019 and higher incomes and literacy rates.
CEO East African Magazine has predicted that 10 years from now, in 2029 there will be no profitable newspaper in Uganda left.
This is due to falling circulation figures and the attendant reduction in circulation and advertising revenues.
The Ipsos Media consumption and usage habits in Uganda report (NAMS Report Half Year 2018) released in Q3 of 2018 shows that the percentage of Ugandans reporting having read a newspaper in the previous 7 days has reduced from 29% in 2010 to 17% in 2014 and to 8% in 2018- of these nearly 50% do not buy but rather read other people’s copies or at the office.
According to the report, only 58% of Uganda’s newspaper readers are able to consistently access current copies, with more than 40% of print consumers currently reading previous day’s news copies. Areas like Amuru, Isingiro, Pader and Mitooma read 100% old newspapers.
The rise of television and the internet has relegated substantially shaken the news component in the word newspapers- as most news are broken 18-24 hours before newspapers hit the stands.
With more advertising revenue being directed at TV, radio and now the internet, newspapers have a double dilemma of sustaining their operations amidst falling circulation and advertising revenues.