Holiday non-reading
From Mr Andrew Macdonald Sir: As someone who shares Stephen Glover's views about the conflict in Afghanistan, I must take issue with his analysis of the newspaper circulation figures (Media studies, 20 October). He asserts that the public were drawn in September to publications that were more critical of allied policy. The truth is, I am afraid, somewhat more prosaic.
The Guardian in particular, and the Independent to a lesser extent, have for some time experienced a dip in sales in August when many readers, including their disproportionately high readerships from the teaching profession, are on holiday. When the holidays are over in September there is a corresponding rise in these publications' sales, so the figures cited by Mr Glover are not unusual.
Other state-sector employees, from whom both the Guardian and Independent draw the bulk of their readerships, may also contribute to this annual occurrence. Generally they are more likely to benefit from 'familyfriendly' working practices.
Andrew Macdonald
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