Newspaper circulation directors face stiff headwinds in a digital age.
Print publications, including newspapers, continue to experience a steady drop in readership as people look other places for their news, such as the Internet. Faced with the near-impossible task of maintaining print readership, today's newspaper circulation director must be able to find creative ways to increase circulation or at least slow the decline. She may also need to work with her online team to gauge trends from hard to soft copy. The salary of a newspaper circulation director varies and depends on the size of the publication, how often it is published and its location.
Average Salary
According to data supplied by PayScale.com, the salary of a newspaper circulation director ranges from $32,520 to $98,896, an amount that does not include benefits such as health insurance coverage. PayScale reports that bonuses are sometimes offered, ranging from approximately $2,000 to $25,000 per year. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics offers a mean average salary of $93,120 for advertising and promotions managers who are under its "newspaper, periodical, book and directory publishers" sub-category.
Responsibilities
The newspaper circulation director has "bottom-line accountability for newspaper sales and distribution," according to the Newspaper Association of America. Besides growing circulation, the newspaper circulation manager is tasked with increasing market penetration, helps to establish the newspaper's long-range goals, oversees the daily operations of his department and works directly with the general manager or publisher to keep him apprised of circulation developments.
Education
Newspaper circulation managers are expected to communicate well, have computer literacy and work well under pressure, including meeting deadlines. The BLS doesn't identify what education requirements a newspaper circulation manager must have, but as with most management positions, a college education can be beneficial, if not required.
Outlook
According to the BLS, the outlook for employees who fall under its "Publishing, Except Software" category, including advertising and promotions managers, also known as circulation managers, is poor. Specifically, the BLS forecasts that all jobs in this field will decline by 19 percent from 2008 to 2018. This compares with a 7 to 13 percent increase for all jobs.
Tags: newspaper circulation, advertising promotions, advertising promotions managers, circulation director, circulation director, circulation manager, circulation managers