Newspaper Circulation Continues to Slump
According to data released on Monday, newspaper circulation fell 2.6 percent during the six-month period ending in March. During this period, newspaper run websites saw an 8 percent increase in users. Keep in mind roughly the same drop was seen the prior six months as well.
So is the writing on the wall or on the Internet? Gotta love my jokes. Several folks have predicted the demise of print newspaper as we know it for quite some time and it is certainly looking like this is the case. There is a silver lining - people still want news! The once powerful print subscriber base will begin to focus dollars online and will not mind paying a monthly fee for unlimited access to news.
I would also predict a faster shift to online subscription on the West coast as the LA Times and San Francisco Chronicle were faced with the largest declines. The Chronicle saw a 15.6 percent drop in circulation in six months!
It is also important to note that many papers reported record profits this last quarter - where in the world did this come from? It came from belt-tightening and soaring profits from online advertising sales. More proof the shift to online is well underway.
tags:
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.