How Profitable is USA Today?

For some reason, I tried to subscribe to USA Today when I moved into a new residence about 10 years ago. (I believe a postcard was part of the "Welcome, new neighbor!" package I got in the mail.)

I thought, heck, it's ridiculously cheap, and I've always enjoyed reading it while on the road, so what's the harm? I called up and subscribed for the advertised rate.

The next day, no paper. Fine, it probably hasn't been processed. Then the next day. Then the next day.

I called to ask what was up. "Oh, it's listed for mail-only delivery," they told me. "But we have the option to have a carrier deliver it every morning. Would you like that?"

Well, of course. That would be the point of me subscribing.

The next day, no paper. Then the next day.

I called back. "Oh, it's listed for mail-only delivery," they told me. "But we have the option to have a carrier deliver it every morning. Would you like that?"

No, I told them. We went through this once before. It's clear that you can't figure this out, so I just want my account wiped and to pretend this all never happened.

The next day, of course, paper on the doorstep. Then, no more papers after that. No charges, thankfully, either.

 

At least there was a bulletproof vest and a fish in it. That would have been quite a housewarming gift.

 

I never see it anywhere in my day-to-day life; I live in a town where even the local daily is no longer distributed in racks or for OTC sales.

 

It's that same cookie-cutter thing that all the Gannett papers seem to use.

 

I used to enjoy getting a USA Today, going out to a long lunch, and reading the hell out of it. There were always a few good features in the sports section, and the cover stories were almost always something interesting.
That was when it was 50 cents and I had time to take a long lunch. My lunches got shorter and the price went up. I would still bite the bullet at $1. When it jumped up to $2 for what felt like an eight-page paper? Screw that noise. Haven't bought one in months.

 

It really irks me that there is only the one weekend edition of USA Today. It seems like I am usually in hotels on weekends, and some of the news is pretty old by that point.

 

You likely don't have as much disposable income as the guy staying at the Marriott during the week who makes six figures and has a flush expense account. We aren't their target audience, that's even more true for the Journal.

 

Not USA Today but the crappy hotel I'm in now offers the local newspaper at a special discounted price of a penny.

Yes, the hotel pays a penny for them, and then passes the cost on to you.

 

I think it has to be seperated out in the bill to count as paid circulation.