We do not analyze the content itself. However, we do evaluate how a story affects sales by monitoring net copies against similar days of previous weeks and the previous year.
Circulation maintains a database that tracks unsold copies at the retailer level.
This tool enables us to effectively measure numbers of copies sold each day, and when there is a significant bump, there is a notation made about the top headlines. Obviously, major breaking news sells papers. Yes, but not in significant numbers. We also did a mammoth project on Superfund sites in the state, with concurrent exposure on our New Jersey Online, that drew a huge response in terms of requests for reprints and online hits, but the publication dates failed to show any impressive sales bumps. Headlines are clearly critical to the impulse buyer.