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Nikkei Publisher Admits Overcharging Advertisers With Inflated Circulation

By Drooid · Sep 17, 2026, 6:28 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Nikkei newspaper publisher said its sales employees overcharged two advertisers by inflating circulation numbers.
The overcharging involved The Nikkei Magazine, a morning newspaper insert used for advertising.
Employees falsified data for 29 issues distributed in Tokyo and Kansai between 2022 and 2026.
Circulation was overstated by 15,000 to 250,000 copies per issue, totaling roughly 2.5 million.
Advertisers flagged the discrepancy, prompting Nikkei to hire an external attorney and plan safeguards.

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Story summary

Nikkei newspaper publisher said its sales employees overcharged two advertisers by inflating circulation numbers.
The overcharging involved The Nikkei Magazine, a morning newspaper insert used for advertising.
Employees falsified data for 29 issues distributed in Tokyo and Kansai between 2022 and 2026.
Circulation was overstated by 15,000 to 250,000 copies per issue, totaling roughly 2.5 million.
Advertisers flagged the discrepancy, prompting Nikkei to hire an external attorney and plan safeguards.