Read all about it: Free circulation in the newspaper war: Free newspapers have made inroads elsewhere, but their gains have been greatest in Europe, where their tabloid shapes and short stories make them handy for commuters on public transportation. [...]
The European total has doubled over the past three years, according to the group, which is based in Paris, and freesheets now account for more than half of all papers circulated in Spain and more than 30 percent in Portugal, Denmark and Switzerland. [...]
In order to survive, free papers have to keep their editorial costs extremely low. Iordan said less than 10 percent of their spending typically went toward journalism, for example, compared with 20 percent to 40 percent for conventional newspapers.
