Print is dead, long live print
Audited numbers show mixed results
Each quarter the Audit Bureau of Circulation releases its data, prompting a certain breed of communications veteran to sigh. The latest Q2 2026 report shows an overall decline: newspaper circulation is down 5.8% compared with the same period last year and 1.6% versus the previous quarter, ending a four-quarter run of growth. Nonetheless, some titles still show strength. The Daily Dispatch posted an 8.4% rise for the quarter and nearly 4% growth year-over-year.
The Herald increased by 8%, while the Cape Times, Cape Argus and The Citizen each recorded modest gains. The Witness held steady after a strong Q1, and the Weekend Witness was the sole weekend paper to improve both quarterly and annually. Regional papers also performed well, with the George Herald climbing 44% year-on-year and the Mossel Bay Advertiser up 58%. Die Papier, an Afrikaans weekly launched only in March, entered the audit at more than 12,000 copies.
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The unique value of physical pages
For communicators, the appeal of print lies in its verified content and classic authority. When AI can fabricate media statements, a dated, physical page offers proof that something of value was said, verifiable and original. Print is rarely a message’s final destination. Talk radio and TV review the morning papers, producers get stories from them, and the most shared post on many a CEO’s LinkedIn feed is a photograph of their opinion piece in a newspaper. Social media amplifies better with a masthead in the frame.
Take Business Day as an illustration: it does not aim at a broad readership but instead serves a narrowly defined group, appearing on desks within corporate boardrooms, airline business lounges, government ministries and regulatory agencies. When influence is measured per copy, only a handful of media can rival its impact. Any communications effort benefits from a trusted foundation, and the printed newspaper, verified by audit and impossible to erase, often provides that base.
The significance of this tangible foundation exceeds what the sheer number of pages might imply. In a time dominated by algorithm-driven feeds, the tactile act of turning pages and stumbling upon an unexpected yet key story delivers an experience that algorithms cannot mimic. Although the audience is modest, print still supplies several distinctive advantages that help retain readers.
