Many local U.S. newspapers covered Monday’s announcement of the latest circulation statistics. Even though they reported the bad news — circulation generally speaking is down — many searched for (and found) ways to accentuate the positive:

New York Daily News : Proving that quality journalism will always win, the Daily News reclaimed its position as the fifth-largest newspaper in the country — reaffirming our belief that we provide the BEST local coverage of the world’s greatest city. (Average daily paid circ fell 1.73 percent to 681,415 copies. Sunday circ down 6.81 percent down to 726,305)

New York Post: No story. (Daily down 5.24 percent to 667,119. Sunday down 5.1 percent to 405,486. Last year, the Post not only covered the story after beating the Daily News for the first time, it ran a special section called “Circulation Stunner : Post beats News.” Weather forecast on the section’s front page: “You snooze, you lose.”)

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review : Tribune-Review circulation is outpacing both national and local trends. Figures from the Audit Bureau show the Tribune-Review posted a 48 percent gain, or 48,590 copies, to 149,068 in the average daily circulation vs. last year in the six-month period ending in September. “The increase in circulation is a result of the combination of all editions of the Tribune Review,” said Ralph Martin, CEO of Tribune-Review Publishing Co.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, smacking around the Tribune-Review, while acknowledging its own circulation decline: The figures for the Tribune-Revenue [sic], which lists itself as based in Greensburg, were muddied by changes in the way it reported the circulations of its Pittsburgh edition and its affiliated publications, and a direct comparison was impossible from last year to this year. (The Post-Gazette reported a 4.2 percent drop in daily circ and a 6.2 percent drop in Sunday.)

The Baltimore Sun, from a press release: Sales of the daily editions of the Sun newspaper stabilized… Daily home delivery [was] up .2 percent, although a decline in newspaper sales kept Monday-Friday overall circulation off slightly. (Daily circ down 1 percent to 232,749. Sunday circ down 4.17 percent to 364,827).

Chicago Tribune, from a press release: Circulation results included overall circulation growth on Wednesdays and Fridays and home delivery growth on Sundays. These results on key advertising days were driven by strong subscriber sales and reader retention. (Daily circ down 2.9 percent to 559,404. Sunday circ down 2.14 percent to 917,868).

Houston Chronicle : The Houston Chronicle is now the sixth-largest metropolitan newspaper in the nation on Sundays - up from seventh - and remains at seventh-place weekdays. (Daily circ down 0.13 percent, Sunday up 0.09 percent).

Charlotte Observer : Nationally, newspaper circulation dropped 2.5 percent daily and 3.5 percent Sunday for the latest six-month audit period, at the end of September. But declines were less at most major Carolina newspapers, and some even showed growth. Charlotte Observer circulation dropped 2.4 percent daily and 1.6 percent Sunday.

Albany Times-Union : Beating national trends, the Times Union has seen its Sunday circulation rise compared to a year ago… However, weekday and Saturday circulation continued to decline, as it has in most other local and national newspapers… [T]he rise in Sunday shows the emphasis the paper has placed in selling home delivery for the product on Sunday and Thursday, another big advertising day. Thursday circulation was up 2 percent…

Philadelphia papers: The Inquirer’s weekday circulation rose 2.3 percent in the six months ended Sept. 30, the biggest gain among the 50 largest U.S. newspapers, while its Sunday circulation fell 2.9 percent, according to audited circulation figures released yesterday. Circulation of the Philadelphia Daily News rose slightly, to 112,601, up by 61 copies from the year-earlier period.