Rules & ResourcesMedia Buyer Support Center
FAQs: September 2011 Newspaper FAS-FAX Report
- Why were these changes made?
- When did these rule changes become effective?
- What is the difference between a replica and nonreplica digital edition?
- A replica digital edition must have the same editorial, layout and ROP advertising as the print version (for example, an exact PDF of the print edition).
- A nonreplica digital edition must be restricted and it also must maintain the basic identity and editorial home of the print version, although its editorial and advertising content may differ (for example, a restricted-access website or an app version of the newspaper).
- Were digital editions reported on previous reports?
- Is there a way to tell if a digital edition is read via a website, iPad app or Kindle download?
- What are branded editions? Why are they now included?
- How can I find the names of the branded editions?
- What is verified circulation? Is this a new category?
- Paid circulation now represents copies purchased by an individual subscriber or distributed through specialized channels, such as those paid by a hotel for its guests (business/traveler).
- Verified circulation refers to requested home-delivered copies, subscriptions purchased by a third party, NIE copies and employee copies.
- What happened to the other paid circulation category heading? Third-party sales? Educational copies?
- Why isn't ABC doing a year-over-year comparison for the overall industry average?
- How do I find a newspaper's paid circulation number? What about its verified circulation?
- Why isn't ABC disclosing paid or verified circulation figures?
- For individual newspapers, can I compare the 2011 figures to the previous year's figures?
- Is there any historical information in the September 2011 FAS-FAX report?
- Can you explain the new categories effective with the March and September 2011 FAS-FAX report?
- What is a newspaper Consolidated Media Report?
- Where can I find more information?
- An Overview of the Recent U.S. Newspaper Rule Changes: Inspiration, Formation and Implementation
- Verified Circulation: An Updated Reporting and Qualification Model for ABC’s U.S. Newspaper Members
- Branded Editions: A new Category to Better Represent a Newspaper’s Full Reach
- Digital Editions: Keeping Pace with the Evolution of U.S. Newspaper Media
- Comprehensive Reporting: ABC’s Approach to Media Transparency and Accountability for U.S. Newspapers
The newspaper industry has been transitioning in the past few years. Publishing platforms have emerged and changed, and the qualification and reporting of newspaper media needs to reflect that environment. The changes implemented last October were the culmination of more than two years of collaboration between newspaper publishers, advertisers and agencies to build a new framework for the measurement and reporting of newspaper media. The changes are designed to help newspapers provide a more comprehensive view of their publishing platforms and audiences, while giving media buyers more transparency into how newspapers reach their markets.
The ABC board has discussed and implemented the changes to U.S. newspaper rules in phases for more than two years. The most recent changes, including those to branded editions, digital editions and verified circulation, became effective Oct. 1, 2010. The Sept. 30, 2011, Publisher’s Statements and FAS-FAX report will reflect the second six months of these rule changes. Rules surrounding digital edition subscriptions were effective Oct. 1, 2011.
For any digital edition—replica or nonreplica—to qualify on ABC reports, its access must be restricted to subscribers or registered users.
Replica and nonreplica digital editions’ circulation are included in the top-line Total Average Circulation number.
Yes, they were reported as “electronic editions.” The new reporting requirements call for greater detail. Replica and nonreplica editions are now listed separately on ABC reports. Publisher’s Statements and Audit Reports will further detail nonreplica editions by the type of device used (restricted-access websites, e-readers and tablets with and without advertising, and mobile devices).
The FAS-FAX report only includes top-line data for ABC-member newspapers.
Additional details regarding digital editions, including distribution platform, will be available via the eFAS-FAX Analyzer tool as a complement to ABC’s U.S. daily newspaper FAS-FAX report. The analyzer provides searchable, customizable queries of ABC-member daily newspapers top-line and all data points from Paragraph 1 of the Publisher’s Statement as reports are released. Member newspaper Audit Reports will also provide additional details about digital editions. Newspaper Audit Report data can be accessed and downloaded via the eNewspaper Analysis tool.
Branded editions are editions of an ABC-member publication that can be geared toward a specific community or demographic. The branded edition must contain “An edition of (ABC-member publication)” in its masthead and be published at least weekly. If the branded edition does not contain editorial content, the subscriber must specifically request the publication. Branded editions are counted toward a publication’s Total Average Circulation.
Print products are transforming to reach consumers with information and advertising targeted to their specific needs and interests. The inclusion of branded editions on ABC reports represents this shift in how newspapers are reaching their consumers.
Because FAS-FAX only includes top-line data for ABC-member newspapers, the titles of branded editions are not included in the report. However full names of all branded editions will appear in the final reports when using the eFAS-FAX Analyzer Publisher’s Statement module as reports are released.
Some newspapers that were previously ABC-member newspapers are now branded editions. These newspapers are now listed and detailed on their ABC-member’s Publisher’s Statements and Audit Reports.
Verified circulation is, in fact, an established category at ABC. In 2006, the consumer magazine division implemented a paid/verified model that was well received and is in use today. For newspapers, this is a new category. Much of what used to be considered “other” paid circulation is now under “verified.”
Other paid circulation, third-party sales and educational copies are no longer headings included in the FAS-FAX report. Much of what used to be considered “other” paid circulation, including third-party sales and NIE copies is now reported as “verified” circulation and included in the total average circulation number. Details about verified circulation will be included on newspapers’ Publisher’s Statements and Audit Reports.
The rule changes reclassified where many of the previous copies were counted. Prior categories were reworked or eliminated, and new categories were added. For example, some newspapers are now reporting branded editions (included in Total Average Circulation) when they did not report those editions in previous periods. The September 2011 FAS-FAX categories, therefore, are not comparable to the 2010 categories to calculate an accurate year-over-year comparison for the overall industry average. Year-over-year comparison will be available with the March 2012 FAS-FAX.
Total Average Circulation on the newspaper FAS-FAX report details the ABC-member’s print and digital total circulation as well as branded editions.
The details of a newspaper’s paid and verified circulation for the ABC-member as well as any branded editions will be available via the eFAS-FAX Analyzer tool and the individual Publisher’s Statements as reports are released in the coming weeks.
FAS-FAX is meant to give a top-line overview of the Publisher’s Statements submitted in the newspaper industry. This report traditionally has not included as much detail as available in Publisher’s Statements or Audit Reports. In the FAS-FAX report, paid and verified numbers are combined in the totals for each category. Paid and verified circulation figures will be detailed via the eFAS-FAX Analyzer tool and individual Publisher’s Statements as reports become available.
Due to the comprehensive nature of the changes and creation of new distribution categories to ABC’s rules and report formats, ABC recommends not making direct comparisons of March and September 2011 data to prior audit periods. Year-over-year comparison will be available with the March 2012 FAS-FAX.
Yes. Newspapers’ total average paid circulation data for the six months ending Sept. 30, 2010, is available in the second section of the PDF FAS-FAX report and in a separate tab of the Excel report. Again, due to the nature of the changes, ABC advises against making any direct comparisons of March and September 2011 data to prior audit periods.
The print version of FAS-FAX only reflects averages for Sunday, combined Monday-Friday and Saturday. The electronic version and eFAS-FAX Analyzer tool contains the total average circulation for each day of the week.
This video also explains the new categories on the report. We’ve also created a callout guide for you to use as a quick reference to understand the updated report.
Also available is a quick tutorial demonstrating how to use eFAS-FAX Analyzer tool.
ABC’s Consolidated Media Report is an optional report that allows newspapers to feature a variety of products in their portfolio, including paid newspaper distribution, free newspaper products, e-mail newsletters, website traffic, social media metrics and more. ABC independently verifies all of the data on a CMR. Top-line data from these reports are featured in ABC’s CMR-FAX and as a module in the eFAS-FAX Analyzer.
More information about the rule changes is available on ABC’s website:
A five-part series by ABC President Mike Lavery explaining the rules:
If you have additional questions, please contact your media buyer marketing manager.
