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View Full Version : I've Been An Anomoly



Kathianne
03-28-2008, 11:59 PM
I've been a Chicago Tribune subscriber since the Chicago Daily News folded, with a small patch for 6 months when I cancelled for a reason, my dad reinstated. I also for years subscribed to WSJ and NY Times. I cancelled the NYT over 3 years ago, still get it sporadically. WSJ I cancelled about a year ago, they only chose to deliver it about 15 times beyond the cancellation.


Here's a more dire warning to the print media:

http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/03/28/newspapers-are-fed/


Newspapers are f’ed

Newspaper ad revenues have taken their worst drop in almost 60 years - worse even than 2001. E&P reports:

According to new data released by the Newspaper Association of America, total print advertising revenue in 2007 plunged 9.4% to $42 billion compared to 2006 — the most severe percent decline since the association started measuring advertising expenditures in 1950.

The drop-off points to an economic slowdown on top of the secular challenges faced by the industry. The second worst decline in advertising revenue occurred in 2001 when it fell 9.0%.

Total advertising revenue in 2007 — including online revenue — decreased 7.9% to $45.3 billion compared to the prior year.

There are signs that online revenue is beginning to slow as well. Internet ad revenue in 2007 grew 18.8% to $3.2 billion compared to 2006. In 2006, online ad revenue had soared 31.4% to $2.6 billion. In 2005, it jumped 31.4% to $2 billion.

As newspaper Web sites generate more advertising revenue, the growth rate naturally slows.

The NAA reported that online revenue now represents 7.5% of total newspaper ad revenue in 2007 compared to 5.7% in 2006.

That growth could not stave off the losses in the print however. National print advertising revenue dropped 6.7% to $7 billion last year. Retail slipped 5% to $21 billion. Classified plunged 16.5% to $14.1 billion.

“Even with the near-term challenges posed to print media by a more fragmented information environment and the economic headwinds facing all advertising media, newspapers publishers are continuing to drive strong revenue growth from their increasingly robust Web platforms,” John Sturm, president and CEO of the NAA, said in a statement.

Is that called whistling in the wind? Or pissing in it? Man, that’s denial.

Yes, some of this is as a result of the economic downturn, especially in real estate (and jobs will be next and cars after that and retail along for the ride down). But even when those segments rise again, newspapers will not — not — recover what they have lost. They lose doubly in a downturn: advertisers spend less because they have less and then they realize they can keep spending less. It’s a reverse plateau.

The situation is desperate.

Pale Rider
03-29-2008, 04:30 AM
My Dad was a Master Pressman at the WSJ until he retired.

Gaffer
03-29-2008, 09:39 AM
Maybe as they go down for the last time they will realize they should have been less partisan and concentrated on real news. They can all ssink together and good riddance.

Mr. P
03-29-2008, 10:01 AM
Maybe as they go down for the last time they will realize they should have been less partisan and concentrated on real news. They can all ssink together and good riddance.

I agree Gaffer, but they don't even see the real reason for the decline...check it out...
Yes, some of this is as a result of the economic downturn, right. I guess that's as good of an excuse for a piss poor product as any.