Sign outside Townsville Bulletin printery directing readers and motorists to cat clinic-pussies and kitty litter circulation statistics doctored ?
A puzzling recent item in the Murdoch Townsville Bulletin said readers had appreciated the focus on local news . One would think that this was the bleeding obvious thing to do in a paper claiming to be the voice of Townsville .
It went on to cite another source of circulation figures , other than the Audit Bureau of Circulation , which seemed to show a Bulletin lift off across all kinds of platforms , including those at Cape Canaveral .
This report may have been prompted by critical posts run in The Magpie's Nest, which voices the strong opinions of ex-Bulletin reporter Malcolm Weatherup , showing that Townsville Bulletin circulation is not very flash, especially its digital copy . In addition, bothersome Weatherup ran an item showing a stack of Bulletins at a soccer match where he said the entrance fee had been four bucks which entitled you to a free copy of the paper . The inference was that very few people wanted the paper . Would this mound of Bulletins be included in circulation statistics, he asked .
The Townsville Bulletin has been running an extensive introductory offer advertising campaign , including a sexy, full frontal , full page photograph of a tomato sauce bottle , urging people to sign up for the paper , The Adventures of Digit Dick edition , Courier Mail , etc.