Daily newspapers increase spending with U.S. postal service

The nation’s daily newspapers are spending nearly USD 1 billion on postage for services from the U.S. Postal Service, according to a national survey by the Newspaper Association of America. According to the survey, newspapers spent more than USD 972 million in 2006 compared with USD 901 million in 2004 and USD 700 million in 2002.

“Collectively, daily newspapers are a leading customer of the U.S. Postal Service and many of our member newspapers are the largest mailers in their local markets,” said John F. Sturm, president and CEO of the Newspaper Association of America. The national survey also found that 47 percent of the Standard Mail products mailed by daily newspapers— principally newspapers’ Total Market Coverage product — are entered at local post offices called Destination Delivery Units.

These products are equally distributed through both high-density and saturation rates. The findings reinforce the importance of local entry and the partnership newspapers have with local postal delivery units to ensure that advertising products are delivered in a timely and efficient manner to meet the needs of a newspaper’s advertising customers.”