Like a lot of other industries, newspapers are in a bit of a slump during these tough times.

Daily papers are partners in commerce with many businesses, including real estate and automotive advertisers. When they hurt, we hurt. Newspapers feel deeply any widespread economic malaise.

That’s a revenue issue. Key and related is newspapers’ circulatory health, which is diagnosed by the number of papers we sell, the number of subscribers we keep.

A report issued last week on U.S. papers’ cardiopulmonary status was the scariest in memory — with at least one notable and local exception.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations compiles verified numbers for hundreds of U.S. papers. Overall during the six months that ended in September, circulation dropped more than 10 percent for weekday papers and more than 7 percent for Sundays.

Some big papers took breathtaking plunges. The San Francisco Chronicle, down more than 25 percent. USA Today, down 17 percent. The Oregonian, down 12 percent.

The New York Times attributed the losses to “rising Internet readership, price increases, the recession and papers intentionally shedding unprofitable circulation.” (That report didn’t mention that because of the Internet, newspapers’ total audiences are actually greater than ever. But that’s another column.)

The biggest paper in Washington actually grew by nearly a third. But The Seattle Times welcomed the addition of many thousands of previous subscribers of The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which went belly-up in the spring.

What paper did next best in Washington?

You’re holding it.

The Wenatchee World’s circulation numbers did go down, but just a hair. Weekday papers dropped less than a single percentage point. Our Sunday circulation fell less than 2 percent, which was the best number in the state, since The P-I had no Sunday subscribers to transfer to The Times.

And in the Wenatchee Valley, where we focus our news efforts, The World’s circulation rose 1 percent on Sundays and 2 percent on weekdays.

I’d be lying if I said we weren’t proud of these numbers, even though it’s a little like being in a bus crash, and while the ambulances are carting away the seriously injured, you’re bragging about your scraped knee.

Why is it, though, that in a state full of newspapers pretty good and better than pretty good, only one is within shouting distance of keeping as many subscribers as it lost?

We can’t be absolutely sure, but a good bet would be on superior customer service. That and another reason: local, local, local.

Readers may have noticed, and we believe have appreciated, a distinct change in approach over the last few months.

It’s demonstrated by these numbers:

• In October of 2008, Page A1 of The World carried 126 stories. Fifty of them were not local stories. Not once was the entire front page occupied by only local stories.

• In October of 2009, Page A1 carried 122 stories. Only 11 were not local, and 18 front pages last month carried no wire news at all.

That intensely local theme carries back through the newspaper, from sports to features. With less advertising, we may have fewer pages, but the proportion of unique, local content produced by our hard-working staff is high and growing.

It is by design and intent. We realize that readers can find thousands of other sources of news about our state, nation and world. But there is no better, no more comprehensive, source of news about North Central Washington than The Wenatchee World. That is what we are, and what we do best.

To the 23,000-plus subscribers who continue to support that direction: thanks.

Reach Managing Editor Gary Jasinek at 665-1176 or jasinek@wenatcheeworld.com.