Rules & ResourcesNewspaper Support Center
Verified Circulation Guide—U.S. Newspapers (Effective October 1, 2010)
Verified Circulation: Educational Copies
Definition
Verified, educational copies represents copies requested by and distributed to accredited classroom settings for use by instructors as part of the curriculum. See ABC Rule C 3.2 Educational Programs.
Financial Transactions
ABC’s qualification review and audit processes won’t govern or consider financial transactions related to verified distribution (invoices, payment, rates charged, etc.). The focus of ABC qualification and classification for verified circulation is confirmation of request, distribution location and delivery.
Payment for verified, educational copies may be obtained from the schools or third parties (sponsors). The copies are still classified as verified for ABC reporting purposes, regardless if any payment for the newspapers is obtained from the school or sponsor.
A newspaper may also wish to engage in fundraising activities to support the cost of producing and distributing copies to schools or other expenses. Fundraising efforts are not governed by ABC and will not impact the qualification or classification of verified, educational copies.
Qualification Requirements
- Request for newspapers and delivery must be to a school or educational facility with an accredited classroom setting for grades kindergarten and above.
- The newspapers will be used by students in the classroom, as part of their curriculum.
- Verified, educational copies (all editions in aggregate), per day, can’t exceed the number of students in the classroom (one copy may be added for the teacher). The total number of copies per school, per day, can’t exceed the number of students enrolled.
- Affidavits are collected, at least annually and after completion of the distribution, attesting to the following (See also Affidavit Examples):
- Name and address of school
- Statement to confirm the newspapers were ordered, received and used in the classroom as part of the curriculum
- The quantity of copies and number of students in the classroom
- Date(s) or date range copies were received
- Name of teacher(s) who received the distribution (if completed by a principal)
- Printed name, title and phone number of the person signing the affidavit
- Signature and date
Affidavits submitted electronically to the newspaper are acceptable to ABC (i.e., e-mail or online). All the information noted above is required. Since a signature is not attainable electronically, the individual completing the form should include a statement confirming the information provided in the electronic affidavit is true and accurate. For example “I agree the above information is complete and accurate.”The auditor may deem it necessary to directly contact the teacher or school official to confirm the information contained in the affidavit.
Affidavits are required for all (100 percent) of the classrooms. Programs for which affidavits are not received are classified as unpaid on ABC documents.
Program Examples
- A second grade teacher requests 20 copies every Monday to use for a current event program in her class. She has 19 students plus needs one copy for herself.
- A ninth grade teacher requests 23 licenses to access the digital edition Monday through Friday for use in his class. He has 22 students plus needs one copy for himself.
- A college professor requests 25 copies every Wednesday during the month of March to assist in teaching students of a journalism class. She has 24 students plus needs one copy for herself.
- A seventh grade teacher requests 20 print copies and 20 digital edition licenses for use every Tuesday in February as part of the curriculum to learn about U.S. presidents. He has 19 students, plus needs one copy for himself. Since there are only 20 eligible recipients, the newspaper may only claim 20 total copies on their ABC documents—just the print, just the digital edition or a combination of both not to exceed 20 total copies.
Affidavit Examples
It is up to each newspaper to develop their own affidavits and ensure they contain the minimum content required by ABC. However, a few examples have been created as a guide to assist newspapers in creating their own. These are not intended to reflect every situation, only those most commonly reviewed by ABC staff.
