The National Enquirer Says That John Travolta Is a 'Secret Cross Dresser': Believable or Baloney?

Actually, it isn't. Newspaper circulation numbers are reported to the Audit Bureau of Circulations. Best-selling papers as of March 31, 2010 in the U.S.A., according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, are the "Wall Street Journal" at number one with 2,092,523 copies sold daily (up 0.5% from the previous year, making it the only newspaper in the country that is actually growing in terms or readership); "USA Today" at number two with 1,826,622 copies sold daily (down 13.8% from the previous year), and "The New York Times" is third with a circulation of 951,063 (down 8.47% from the previous year.
These numbers are just for the US.
The World Association of Newspapers (WAN) publishes a list of newspapers with the largest circulation. In 2011, India led the world in terms of newspaper circulation with nearly 330 million newspapers circulated daily. In 2005, China topped the list in term of total newspaper circulation with 93.5 million a day, India came second with 78.8 million, followed by Japan, with 70.4 million; the United States, with 48.3 million; and Germany, with 22.1 million. Around 75 of the 100 best selling newspapers are in Asia and seven out of top ten are Japanese newspapers.
The Japanese "Yomiuri Shimbun", "Asahi Shimbun" and "Mainichi Shimbun" are still the largest circulated newspapers in the world. The "Times of India" is the largest circulated English-language daily newspaper in the world

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the daily circulation of the Soviet newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda" exceeded 21,500,000 in 1990, while the Soviet weekly "Argumenty i Fakty" boasted a circulation of 33,500,000 in 1991.

The Enquirer openly acknowledges that it will pay sources for tips, a practice generally frowned upon by the mainstream press. At least one prominent story, connected to the Elizabeth Smart case, had to be retracted after it was revealed that two informants had fabricated false information. The informants had been paid a large sum for the story.
The tabloid has struggled with declining circulation figures due to competition from glossy tabloid publications. As of 2010, the National Enquirer sells for $3.49 on newsstands in the United States. Subscription rates are $1.90 per issue for 52 issues, and $2.40 for 26.