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The US Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) has made changes to its audit reports for newspapers which it hopes will create greater transparency.

The changes, which were applied from 1 October, include a newly created "verified circulation" category for free publications, free copies of publications or those which have been paid for by another party, such as the US Newspapers In Education programme which provides schools with newspapers. These titles were previously classified within ABC reports as "other paid".

The ABC told Journalism.co.uk that the new reporting model aims to provide greater transparency with a clearer definition of paid circulation.

The changes also include a new "branded editions" reporting category to join the existing print and digital editions. This is a newly created category for editions of a newspaper which have a name on the front other than the one in which ABC membership is held and helps newspapers distinguish between the circulations of their niche products and the main newspaper. The ABC website has a dedicated web page of resources outlining the changes and processes behind the revised rules.

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Written by
Rachel Bartlett

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