Newspapers: Over The Precipice

«Newspaper advertising dropped 7.9% last year—and that's before the recession really bit. Revenue from their websites, that sliver at the top in slightly paler red, could only slow the decline. [Data from the Newspaper Association of America. Nick Denton, Gawker.]»

«Think about these figures, all based on published reports by professional groups or analysts:
• Thirty years ago, 71 percent of adults read a daily newspaper. Ten years ago, it was 59 percent. Last year's figure: 48 percent.
• Last December, 63 million unique visitors came to newspaper Web sites. Google's figure: 133 million.
• Ad revenue for newspaper Web sites rose 21 percent to $773 million in the third quarter of last year over the previous year. Print ad losses during the same period: $1 billion, wiping out the gain from the Web.
• In the third quarter of last year, print advertising dropped 9 percent, including a decline of 17 percent among classifieds. A Goldman Sachs prediction for overall newspaper advertising this year: a drop of 8 percent.
While most news organizations remain profitable, they are rapidly losing ground in readership, revenue and Web popularity.
Now is not the time to panic, of course...
Wait.
Now is exactly the time to panic.»

[Carl Sessions Stepp, Maybe it is Time to Panic (via Ponto Media)

Em Portugal, de 2006 para 2007, os 5 diários generalistas (DN, JN, 24Horas, Público e CM) venderam menos 13606 jornais/dia (4,5%)