Blogs vs Newspapers

Michelle Malkin blogged Michael Malone of ABC News asserts that "[m]any blogs enjoy readerships larger than some major metropolitan newspapers."

Wow! That's great news for bloggers! But is it true?

The circulation of most major metropolitan newspapers is 200,000 or more. Many average more than 400,000. By comparison, Instapundit currently averages about 130,000 visits (not unique visitors) a day. Assuming Instapundit's readers check his site, on average, twice a day, that's "only" 65,000 readers. So right there, the newspapers have at least a 3-to-1 advantage in readership.

That's only part of the picture, though, since major newspapers also have web sites that draw far more traffic than top political blogs (see, e.g., Seattle Times vs. Instapundit and Houston Chronicle vs. Daily Kos).

I wish Malone were correct, but it's clear that the combined readership of any major metropolitian newspaper's print and electroinc editions dwarfs that of even the mightiest political blog.

Related:
How many Americans read political blogs?
How many Americans read political blogs, part II

Michelle is correct (she usually is), but one thing to consider is some may buy a paper, but just read the sports section, or just the society page, or any of the other specific sections of the paper, but a blog reader is going to focus on the blogs that they like to read, and are therefore likely to read most, if not everything, on that blog.