Perhaps it is no longer a surprise. It has become repeated news. Another newspaper will cease its print publication. The Ann Arbor News will no longer be printed:
The list of major newspapers that may disappear in this economy are established names in the industry. When even a short list is compiled, it focuses on the extent and the magnitude of problem that newspapers face. The names are all familiar:
It’s a sad day. For those who love newspapers and honor the role of the print media, it is heart wrenching to see an established publication like the Rocky Mountain News go under. Today, February 27, is the last edition and a long tradition ends:
I will preface these remarks by saying that I am completely and unabashedly biased. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer is an excellent newspaper. Online and in print form, it presents as one of the very best sources of local, national and world news. Now, its very existence is threatened:
It is bad news for one of Canada’s leading national publications. The Globe and Mail informed its employees that there will be layoffs forthcoming:
The financial troubles with newspapers have been well documented. Advertisers are finding more success on the internet. Nevertheless, it is still jolting to see that The Miami Herald is for sale:
It is a dramatic decline. The Washington Post Company is yet another newspaper organization that is struggling:
“The Washington Post Co. today reported an 86 percent decline in third-quarter earnings compared with the same period last year, as a significant loss at the flagship newspaper offset gains at the company’s education and cable divisions.”
link: Washington Post Co. Earnings Plummet in Third Quarter
Circulation is declining and advertising has gone to find more viewers online. This decline is significant. The Christian Science Monitor has made a decision to focus on its online publication. How soon will other newspapers follow that business model?
Catherine Forsythe
The Christian Science Monitor has had a longstanding reputation of excellence. It has garnered numerous Pulitzer Prizes. Now, the Christian Science Monitor will be available only on the internet:
“After a century of continuous publication, The Christian Science Monitor will abandon its weekday print edition and appear online only, its publisher announced Tuesday. The cost-cutting measure makes The Monitor the first national newspaper to largely give up on print.”
link: Christian Science Paper Ends Daily Print Edition
It seems inevitable, with circulation dropping and advertisers gravitating to internet sites. The Christian Science Monitor may portend a solution that other print publications may have to follow. Nevertheless, it ends a long tradition; and, for those who have an abiding affection for the printed dailies, it is a sad day.
Catherine Forsythe
Newspapers are struggling and the latest circulation figures are grim. There are reported double digit declines in circulation numbers. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is an example:
“…During the six-month period ending September, the newspaper’s circulation fell to 274,999 — a 13.6 percent drop from the same period a year ago…”
link: AJC circulation falls nearly 14%
More and more newspapers will have to reduce staff, as the Star-Ledger of Newark did recently. However, the advertisers will not put their marketing dollars with the newspapers with these declining numbers. The advertising simply will gravitate to the internet.
Catherine Forsythe
Newspaper reports are the first witnesses of history. Google is bring that history online:
“A new initiative to bring old newspapers that pre-date the digital age to the web has been launched by the search giant Google.
The company has partnered with around 100 newspapers to digitize them and make scanned copies available online.”
link: Old newspapers get online launch
This is an ambitious initiative on Google’s part. It brings an enormous amount of information online. One can’t help but think that Google is helping to document a fading medium. As the newspaper industry is trying to adjust to the competition of the internet - and the loss of advertising revenue, Google may be preserving editions of newspapers that may not survive the transition into internet news.
Catherine Forsythe
