The Leader continues to lead all area newspapers in circulation. The twice-weekly Leader and the mid-week Extra shopper have a combined circulation of 32,647, making it by far the biggest newspaper in the area.
That number is a 50 percent increase over the last 22 years, when The Leader was started as a free-circulation newspaper with 22,000 distribution. It is now a combination paid paper (12,499) — that is, more than half of our 1987 circulation is now paid for by subscribers (thank you very much) — and an additional 20,156 Extras are mailed Wednesdays directly to homes of non-subscribers.
That is why we’re the largest and most honored weekly newspaper in Arkansas.
While The Leader’s circulation has increased over the years, daily newspapers have lost about a third of their readership.
Although a Little Rock newspaper recently trumpeted its readership numbers in this area, placing The Leader in the second spot, those numbers are very misleading. The Little Rock newspaper did a telephone survey of newspaper readership in the region, but it counted its Sunday readership from Jacksonville all the way to the Missouri border to claim it’s No. 1 — but it under-counted our numbers by about 80 percent.
The Leader leads its circulation area from Sherwood to Searcy, where our readers and advertisers live and work and rely on us for accurate and useful information.
The Leader also publishes the 8,000 circulation Combat Airlifter, the official air base newspaper.
“Our readers and advertisers know we reach the most people in our circulation area,” said publisher Garrick Feldman. “We may not have readers in Pocahontas or Mammoth Springs, but when it comes to north Pulaski, Lonoke and White counties, no one can touch us.”
In this area, almost everyone reads The Leader. We thought we’d toot our own horn, because if we don’t, who will?
The Leader staff thanks you for your support.
