A listing of common circulation labels and how they translate to AAM reports and data.
News media clients may find that classification labels in their circulation systems aren’t an exact match to those found in AAM’s publisher filing tools. Below is a listing of common circulation labels and how they translate to AAM reports and data.
For a complete listing of AAM circulation terms, please view this article in the support center.
| AAM Labels | Common News Media Classification Labels | Basic Definitions and Notes |
| Individually Paid Circulation | ||
|
Individual Subscriptions |
Carriers, Motor Routes, Mail |
Subscriptions where the consumer has paid at least one cent minus any inducements. |
|
Single Copy |
Dealers, Racks, Counter Sales, Hawker Sales |
Copies sold at newsstands or retailers where the consumer has paid at least one cent minus any inducements. Note: Make sure to deduct returns. Double check “incomplete audit info” for additional returns. |
| Business/Traveler Paid Circulation | Note: Business traveler copies are separate from paid single copies. | |
|
Hotel Distribution – Guest Refund |
Bulk, Hotel, Guest Refund, Third-Party Guest, Paid Business Traveler | Copies guests were billed for and had the option to decline purchase and obtain refunds. |
|
Hotel Distribution – Room/Lobby Copies |
Bulk, Hotel, Room/Lobby, Third-Party Guest, Paid Business/Traveler | Copies paid for by the hotel and delivered to guests’ rooms or available for pickup in the lobby. |
|
Group Subscriptions (Designated Employees) |
Groups | Copies purchased by employers for their employees. |
| Qualified Circulation | ||
|
Home Delivery – Address Specific |
Samples, Qualified Samples, Verified Samples, Unpaid Home Delivery, Home Delivery Requested, Home Delivery Targeted |
Free copies sent to specific addresses. Note: If claiming this category, you need to maintain sampling details for the audit (i.e., distribution list with addresses, etc.). |
|
Home Delivery – Market Coverage |
Samples, Verified Samples, Unpaid Home Delivery |
Free copies distributed to a defined area. Note: If claiming this category, you need to maintained sampling details for the audit (i.e., distribution route maps, etc.). |
|
Public Access |
Retail/Business: Bulk, Qualified Retail Business Distributed to Apartments: Samples, Apartment Lobby Racks and Other Distribution: Samples, Nonpaid Racks, Verified, Events. |
Copies requested by businesses for their patrons, samples at retail/events, samples distributed in apartment lobbies or samples placed in racks in nonresidential locations. |
|
Other Qualified (Employee/Independent Contractor, Education and University Copies) |
Labels are similar to AAM’s. |
Free copies provided to the newspaper’s employees or distributed to classrooms and university settings. Notes:
|