The Newspaper Association of America (NAA) reports the largest drop in print advertising in more than 50 years. Advertising nosedived nearly 10% (9.4%) in 2007, compared with 2006 ad sales. Sales of classified ads fell 16.5%, while retail ad sales declined by 5%.
In general, newspaper subscription rates have been steadily declining; an average drop last year of around 3% was noted earlier for the year, although The Oregonian was able to blaze new trails in this area, posting a drop in subscriptions of about 6% As newspaper "reporters" and editors continue to obfuscate, mislead, and/or bury news in an ongoing effort to put forward their Democrat biases, it seems likely that current trends in subscription rates and ad sales will continue over the forseeable future.
Today's newspaper organizations have, in many cases, lost sight of the fundamental role of journalism. Readers have a right to expect at least some semblance of balance in what is presented to them as news, yet they are instead bombarded with dire tales of how climate change is all their fault, sage advice on "reducing your carbon footprint", and political "reporting" that headlines Republican Senator Larry playing footsie in an airport bathroom - then reporting on a governor fighting corruption charges and burying the fact that the guy's a Democrat in the final lines of the "story" - assuming that they bother to mention it at all.
In so doing, newspapers have increasingly transformed themselves from journalists into propagandists; leaving thoughtful readers to question whether their subscription is money well-spent. And as go the subscribers, so, too, go the advertisers.
The folks running the newspapers, in general, appear never to have heard the old (but accurate) bromide: when you find yourself in a hole, it's best to stop digging.
