The magazine HR Future was recently praised for achieving an online circulation six times higher than its print sales ( What's New in Publishing, 2 Sept 2010). This is certainly an impressive achievement, but is it unique?
Of course not! A closer look at the story reveals that HR Future is singled out only because these figures represent audited circulation as measured by the ABC, the Audit Bureau of Circulation, which provides certified figures for use by magazine and newspaper publishers when they make deals with advertisers. Unfortunately the ABC is a bit behind the times. It only provides figures for online circulation when, firstly, the magazine is already using ABC to measure its print circulation (so online-only magazines don't count, in ABC's view), and secondly, when the online version is an exact replica of the print.
Altough it is possible to create online replicas of a print publication, tuypically via PDF, using such companies as Exact Editions, this does not play to the strengths of online publishing. Every national newspaper, and most local papers, have a far more sophsiticated on-screen CMS-based layout that enables individual stories to be read and linked to others. Not to recognize that this is the most effective way of online publishing is a disservice to the periodical pubishing industry.
So, while I am impressed by HR Future's achievement, I think it is only one story among many; it's just that the others aren't being counted.
