Hundreds of owners run the nation's 1,457 newspapers, but about two dozen companies dominate.

Percent of Daily Newspapers Owned by Largest Newspaper Groups

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Source: Editor and Publisher Yearbook; PEJ research

* The largest groups include the 22 newspaper groups with a combined daily circulation of over 500,000.

 

Percent of Daily Circulation Belonging to Largest Newspaper Groups

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Source: Editor and Publisher Yearbook; PEJ research

* The largest groups include the 22 newspaper groups with a combined daily circulation of over 500,000.

Percent of Sunday Circulation Belonging to Largest Newspaper Groups

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Source: Editor and Publisher Yearbook; PEJ research

* The largest groups include the 22 newspaper groups with a combined daily circulation of over 500,000.

In order to get an accurate view of the major newspaper groups' influence, consider a few numbers: In 2002, the 22 largest newspaper chains owned 39 percent of all the newspapers in the country (562 papers). Yet those papers represent 70 percent of daily circulation and 73 percent of Sunday. And their influence appears to be growing. These circulation percentages are a full percentage point higher than in 2001, even though the number of newspapers owned by these groups dropped slightly.¹ [4]

Top Ten Groups’ Percent of Total Weekday Circulation

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Source: Editor and Publisher Yearbook; PEJ research

* The top ten groups are by combined weekday circulation.

Top Ten Groups’ Percent of Total Sunday Circulation

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Source: Editor and Publisher Yearbook; PEJ research

* The top ten groups are by combined weekday circulation.

The circulation power is even greater for the biggest of these companies. The top 10 chains account for more than half of all circulation in the United States - 51 percent daily and 56 percent Sunday.² [7]

The power is also seen in the economics. Overall, the newspaper industry in 2002 took in more than $55 billion in total revenue.³ [8] Yet the 14 biggest companies took in about 40 percent of that, or nearly $22 billion in total revenue.⁴ [9]