Between circulation figures and social responsibility

This is today’s Independent newspaper. It is a special edition to highlight the fight against Aids in Africa. It is guest edited by rock star Bono.The front spread is red to illustrate Bono’s partnership with several leading high street brands to market red-themed products where some proceeds will be funneled to the Aids cause.

Following that, the Independents’ running tag says that half of all revenues from today’s paper will go to fight Aid in Africa. For its part, the paper has dedicated six pages for the African Aids issue (nine articles plus one advertorial of how people can donate through red mobile phones), along with a special editorial by Bono and three pages of advertisements for red Motorola mobile phone, red American Express card and red Tesco mobile.

The paper says that its decision to donate half of its cover price to RED signifies “the start of a new era on private charitable support for the world’s poor”.

In his editorial Bono says that the African Aids victims are depending on the Independent readers “to respond to the precariousness of their lives”.

He adds:

"…forgive us if we expand our strategy to reach the high street, where so many of you live and work…Right now, people you will never meet, who will never be able to thank you, are depending on you for the life-saving drugs which buying this paper will buy”.

All well and fine. It is about time the newspapers too play a significant role in highlighting such social issues. However one does wonder if the Independent has other motives in pulling this trick today.

Readership and circulation figures are the main barometers of how well a newspaper is doing. And recent circulation figures do suggest that Independent is far from leading the field.

On a year-to-year figure, Independent is the least selling broadsheet. Last April it circulated 229,100 copies per day and by this April it had fallen by 6.36% to 214,533. Its rivals Guardian and FT managed to swing their circulation swing upwards while Times and Telegraph suffered smaller drop.

However there is some good news for the Independent on Sunday. It has boosted its circulation by a massive 28.43 percent from last April (from 175,095 to 224,882 this April).

So having tried other freebies – such as books, environment wall-charts and VCDs, maybe now Independent is trying to hit the readers’ social responsibility to increase its sales.

And what’s next? Perhaps one edited by Wayne Rooney to galvanise more support from the nation for England to win the World Cup?