The newspaper circulation scandal in the US refuses to die as three New York dailies are pressed to give information to a federal investigation.
The inquiry by the US Attorney's office in the city, has subpoenaed Rupert Murdoch's New York Post, the Daily News and the highly respected New York Times.
This latest development comes on the heels of a general review of circulation audit practices carried out by the Securities and Exchange Commission after other newspaper groups in the country admitted overstating their sales earlier this year.
The New York Times has stressed it is co-operating with the investigation but is not the "focus" of it.
Readers have been treated to a feast of accusations, rumours and counter-claims as the three New York rivals engage in a war of words about sales and readership numbers.
As a result of the wider scandal, investors and advertisers alike have lost confidence in circulation figures across the board. The data is also used as a guide to the financial stock of newspaper companies and to regulate the cost of page rates.
Latest half year figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulations show US newspaper sales still in the doldrums [WAMN: 3-Nov-2004]
Data sourced from MediaGuardian.co.uk; additional content by WARC staff
