Ouch! Newspaper revenues take biggest plunge on record

We've all known for a while now that things aren't looking exactly rosy for the newspaper industry (for an excellent account of the state of the newspaper world read this New Yorker article).

Now, Editor & Publisher has figures that are enough to make any newspaper mogul cry.

Total print advertising revenue last year dropped 9.4 percent to $42 billion from the year before, according to the Newspaper Association of America. That's the biggest decrease since the NAA began measuring ad expenditures in 1950.

Total advertising revenue, including online revenue, decreased 7.9 percent in 2007 from the year before.

[clowdy4]

Maybe a Good Thing

For years Blood Sweat and Tears have been the main selling
ingredient for the papers. In other words, 95 percent crap and 5
percent believable.
A school shooting yesterday/ murder suicide today, sheep gave
birth to human babies 10 years ago.
It's about time! Start printing something worth reading and sales
will rise again.

[therealbean]

Huh?

What are you talking about? Do you read any of the leading newspapers in the US (NYT, WSJ, LA Times, Wash Post)?

The drop in advertising has nothing to do with readers protesting bad coverage, but rather readers getting their news online.

[mrwildman1]

newspapers.... going.... going....

the NY times as well as a bunch of others are (to me anyways) leaning Way to the left. they don't share the same values. and i spend my time (and money)reading that dribble. i listen to talk radio a lot while I'm in my delivery truck.
i share the same attitude as Howie Carr and Sean hannity. not so much with rush. he's a bit much for me to listen to. and if i want something like the newspaper, i get on-line. i have anything i want. and like this blog, i can voice my opine.

[fourthestate]

It shows!

And one can tell by some of the opinions of the bloggers on this site that they don't read anything, let alone newspapers. The illiteracy reeks!
jt

[josephXY]

another article: on the media and the sub-prime

in the same publication appeared another article
that might be of interest:
editor & publisher: Where Was Media When Sub-Prime
Disaster Unfolded?
http://www.mediainfo.com/eandp/columns/shoptalk_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003781122

If we were long on the edge of "disaster" with a "financial nuclear winter" waiting in the wings, why were American news consumers among the last to know?

[Jamesmeredith2]

quit listening to mainstream...

Perhaps when they only cover what the corporations want then people such as ourselves no longer read mainscream media...

[Leria]

People are realizing what a waste print news is

For anything. I mean, I can get better job listings online. I can get better news and faster news online on the newspapers websites.

Basically, print news is going to go the way of the dodo, and I am glad for that. No more wasted paper that I have to recycle, which is 90% of what I recycle every week.

[niceguy2931]

Suggestions

Suggest one buy i.e. the NY Times on Sunday learn a few things, then take advantage of all the on line (free) reads they provide. For $6 per week you will get all you need.

[fourthestate]

Newspapers

God help us if we ever lose newspapers, our government watchdogs!
jt

[fourthestate]

It's evident

And one can tell by some of the opinions of the bloggers on this site that they don't read anything, let alone newspapers. The illiteracy reeks!
jt