Just one more list

 
Circulation figures Wemf is considering a change in practice regarding the publication of circulation figures for Swiss print titles. Circulation is an important tool for evaluating a newspaper, magazine or specialist title. Changes in circulation reflect the biorhythm of print titles in the constant ups and downs of the media industry particularly well. The impatience of media companies to see the figures of their competitors is correspondingly high. The AG für Werbemedienforschung (Wemf) accommodated this impatience and has therefore been publishing a provisional circulation list for several years, even before the two external auditing companies PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ernst & Young have given their OK. Misunderstandings about the preliminary listWith this preliminary list, which Wemf has published to date without any significant difficulties, there have been misunderstandings this year. For example, the Handelszeitungs Group, Jean Frey Verlag and Weltwoche complained that the reporting media had given the impression that the two publishers would not have their titles certified by Wemf this year. The misunderstandings have their origin in the fact that a few publishers only want to appear on the definitive list with the title "certified edition".
The preliminary list, which is the main focus of the Swiss media, already contains the figures for most titles, but the definitive list will not be published until November. By then, the media will no longer be very interested in it because practically all the data will already be known. But why are there two lists? "There are historical reasons," says Roland Achermann, project manager for authentication at Wemf. It has the advantage that Wemf is not bombarded with inquiries from impatient publishers in the trade press and the trade press does not have to painstakingly check the print runs in turn.
Achermann has no explanation for this year's misunderstandings. "Some media probably didn't communicate in the best way." Wemf wants to consider how to communicate the figures in future. So there will probably only be one list.
René Worni