Independent auditors typically analyze newspaper circulation and readership annually. The Baltimore Examiner, tabloid and free to readers, is not a typical newspaper. So we ordered an audit five months into business, a little fearful but buoyed by the warm reception of readers and advertisers (now nearly 500 strong), who told us success stories about their promotionalcampaigns.

The results from CAC, the Certified Audit of Circulations, were more than good. A demographically-targeted newspaper, we found 97 per cent of those we identify to receive The Examiner get it.