Summary
- • Newspaper circulation in the U.S. declined by 7% in 2020.
- • Over 2,000 newspapers have closed in the U.S. since 2004.
- • Print newspaper advertising revenue fell by over 50% from 2008 to 2018.
- • In 2021, 25% of Americans said they do not read a print newspaper.
- • Newspaper newsroom employment in the U.S. dropped by 47% between 2008 and 2019.
- • The number of newspaper reporters and correspondents decreased by 27% from 2008 to 2018.
- • Roughly 1,800 newspapers shut down between 2004 and 2018.
- • Local newspapers lost about 60% of their advertising revenue from 2007 to 2019.
- • The number of newspaper publishers in the U.S. dropped by 45% from 2004 to 2018.
- • Newspaper revenue from circulation declined by 27% from 2008 to 2018.
- • From 2018 to 2020, the top 50 largest newspapers saw a decline in weekday circulation by 16%.
- • Digital advertising revenue for newspapers declined by 13% in 2020.
- • Over 1,100 communities in the U.S. have lost news coverage due to newspaper closures from 2004 to 2019.
- • About 60% of the nation's rural counties have no daily newspaper.
- • Print newspaper readership among adults in the U.S. dropped from 28.6% in 2016 to 16.3% in 2020.
As the saying goes, Extra, extra, read all about it! Unless, of course, youre part of the 25% of Americans who no longer do. The decline of newspapers in the U.S. is not merely headline news; its a full-blown saga of vanishing ink and folded pages. From a 7% drop in circulation in 2020 to the shuttering of over 2,000 newspapers since 2004, the print industry is facing an existential crisis faster than you can say stop the presses. Join us as we uncover the ink-stained truths behind the dwindling numbers, the alarming stats that paint a grim picture of a once-thriving industry now struggling to stay afloat in the digital age.
Advertising Revenue
- Print newspaper advertising revenue fell by over 50% from 2008 to 2018.
- Local newspapers lost about 60% of their advertising revenue from 2007 to 2019.
- Digital advertising revenue for newspapers declined by 13% in 2020.
- Newspaper advertising revenue fell from $49.3 billion in 2005 to $14.3 billion in 2018.
- Between 2008 and 2018, newspaper advertising revenue in the U.S. declined by $31 billion.
- Newspaper print ad revenue fell by 81% from 2005 to 2019.
- Newspaper advertising revenue in the U.S. plummeted by $30 billion from 2006 to 2016.
- Print newspaper advertising revenue plunged by 70% from 2008 to 2018.
- Newspaper advertising revenue in the U.S. fell by $23 billion from 2006 to 2016.
- Newspaper digital ad revenue declined by 10% in 2019.
- The share of digital ad revenue for newspapers increased by 2.2 percentage points from 2015 to 2020.
- The advertising revenue for U.S. newspapers fell by $4.6 billion between 2017 and 2019.
- Newspaper digital advertising revenue fell by 6% in 2020.
- From 2000 to 2019, advertising revenue for U.S. newspapers fell by nearly $31 billion.
- From 2009 to 2019, newspaper print advertising revenue in the U.S. decreased by 68%.
- Print advertising revenue for newspapers in the U.S. decreased by $17 billion from 2006 to 2016.
- Advertising revenue for U.S. newspapers decreased by $20 billion from 2006 to 2016.
- The advertising revenue for U.S. newspapers has declined by over $30 billion since 2006.
- Digital advertising revenue for newspapers in the U.S. decreased by 6% in 2020.
Interpretation
With print newspaper advertising revenue taking a nosedive faster than a free-falling skydiver, and local papers shedding ad revenue like a cat sheds fur in summer, the digital realm is starting to look like a more appealing haven for struggling newspapers – but alas, even the digital advertising gods seem to have turned their backs, with a 13% decline in revenue last year. It's a tale of woe for the once-mighty print newspapers, as they watch their advertising dollars evaporate faster than water in the desert. Will they rise from the ashes like a phoenix, or will they be relegated to the annals of old news, joining the ranks of cassette tapes and dial-up internet? Time will tell, but the ink-stained warriors of journalism better start sharpening their pixels if they want to survive in this ever-evolving media landscape.
Newspaper Circulation
- Newspaper circulation in the U.S. declined by 7% in 2020.
- Newspaper revenue from circulation declined by 27% from 2008 to 2018.
- From 2018 to 2020, the top 50 largest newspapers saw a decline in weekday circulation by 16%.
- Between 2008 and 2018, daily newspaper print circulation decreased by 45%.
- Newspaper publishers' revenue from circulation dropped by 27% between 2008 and 2018.
- Newspaper circulation declined by 30% from 2010 to 2018.
- Over 500 newspapers in the U.S. have implemented paywalls or subscriptions to counter revenue decline.
- Newspaper circulation revenue decreased by 12% in 2019.
- Newspaper digital subscriptions grew by 71% in 2020.
- Newspaper revenue from circulation dropped by 36% from 2003 to 2019.
- Newspaper circulation in the U.S. fell by 34% from 2010 to 2018.
Interpretation
In an era where the only thing arriving on doorsteps seems to be Amazon packages, it's no surprise that newspapers are feeling the squeeze. With circulation numbers plummeting faster than a dropped copy of yesterday's news, the industry is scrambling to find its footing in the digital age. As paywalls rise like paper barricades, newspapers are desperately trying to secure their future, one digital subscription at a time. Perhaps it's time to turn the page on traditional print and embrace the pixelated promise of tomorrow before the headlines become a footnote in history.
Newspaper Closures
- Over 2,000 newspapers have closed in the U.S. since 2004.
- Roughly 1,800 newspapers shut down between 2004 and 2018.
- The number of newspaper publishers in the U.S. dropped by 45% from 2004 to 2018.
- About 60% of the nation's rural counties have no daily newspaper.
- Over 500 newspapers in the U.S. have shifted to digital-only formats or shut down entirely since 2004.
- The number of newspapers in the U.S. has dropped from 9,310 in 2004 to 6,391 in 2019.
- Over 2,000 newspapers have closed or merged in the U.S. since 2004.
- The number of daily newspapers published in the U.S. has decreased by 1,800 from 2004 to 2018.
- About a quarter of U.S. newspapers ceased operation from 2004 to 2019.
- Over 1,300 communities in the U.S. have lost local news coverage due to newspaper closures between 2004 and 2018.
- The number of American newspapers publishing at least five days a week dropped by 70% between 2004 and 2018.
- The number of standalone print newspapers in the U.S. dropped by 70% between 1970 and 2016.
- From 2004 to 2019, the number of newspapers in the U.S. declined by 1,800.
- Over 2,100 newspapers have ceased operations in the U.S. since 2004.
- Over 2,400 newspapers in the U.S. have closed in the past 16 years.
- The number of daily newspapers in the U.S. decreased from 1,480 in 1970 to 982 in 2018.
- More than half of all counties in the U.S. now have only one newspaper, or none at all.
- In the past 16 years, over 2,500 newspapers in the U.S. have closed.
- The number of newspaper publishers in the U.S. has decreased by 45% since 2004.
- Over 1,400 communities in the U.S. have lost local news coverage due to newspaper closures from 2004 to 2018.
- The number of standalone newspapers in the U.S. has dropped by 70% since 1970.
- From 2004 to 2019, over 1,800 newspapers in the U.S. have closed down.
- More than 1,200 communities in the U.S. no longer have a local newspaper.
- The number of American newspapers has decreased from 1,480 in 1970 to 982 in 2018.
Interpretation
As the newspaper industry faces a crisis of epic proportions with more closures than a struggling Broadway show, one can't help but wonder if the ink-stained warriors of journalism are facing extinction faster than the dinosaurs. With over 2,000 newspapers biting the dust since 2004, it seems like writing on the wall is not just a metaphor but a headline screaming for attention. From digital shifts to standalone print papers becoming as rare as a unicorn sighting, the decline of the newspaper publishing world is like a real-life game of Jenga, but instead of wooden blocks, it's our access to local news that's precariously teetering. Let's hope the next breaking news headline won't be "Journalism, RIP."
Newspaper closures
- Over 1,100 communities in the U.S. have lost news coverage due to newspaper closures from 2004 to 2019.
Interpretation
In the heart-pounding thriller that is the decline of local news coverage in the U.S., over 1,100 communities have tragically found themselves stuck in a plot hole since 2004, thanks to the sudden disappearance of their trusty newspaper heroes. As we mourn the loss of these journalistic caped crusaders, it serves as a stark reminder that while fake news may be entertaining, the absence of real news is a crime against democracy that no amount of superhero reboots can save us from.
Newsroom Employment
- Newspaper newsroom employment in the U.S. dropped by 47% between 2008 and 2019.
- The number of newspaper reporters and correspondents decreased by 27% from 2008 to 2018.
- Newspaper employment declined by 58% between 2008 and 2020.
- The number of journalists working at U.S. newspapers decreased by 51% between 2008 and 2020.
- The number of daily newspaper newsroom employees in the U.S. decreased by 60% between 2008 and 2020.
- In 2019, total newspaper newsroom employment in the U.S. dropped by 47% compared to 2008.
- The number of newspaper employees in the U.S. decreased by 47% from 2004 to 2019.
- From 2008 to 2018, the number of full-time newspaper industry employees fell by 47%.
- From 2008 to 2019, the number of U.S. editorial employees in newspapers declined by 47%.
- The number of newspaper reporters working in the U.S. dropped by 46% between 2008 and 2018.
- Fifty newsrooms closed in the U.S. in 2019, with over 6,000 journalism jobs lost.
- Newspaper employment in the U.S. fell by 47% from 2008 to 2019.
- The number of newspaper reporters in newsrooms decreased by 46% from 2008 to 2018.
- The number of newsroom employees at U.S. newspapers fell by 51% from 2008 to 2019.
- Employment in the newspaper industry in the U.S. fell by 47% from 2008 to 2019.
- The number of newspaper reporters in the U.S. decreased by 46% between 2008 and 2018.
- Newspaper newsroom employees in the U.S. dropped by 27% from 2008 to 2020.
- The total number of newsroom jobs at U.S. newspapers declined by 25% from 2008 to 2019.
Interpretation
As the saying goes, all ink eventually dries up, and it seems that sentiment is ringing true for the newspaper industry as well. With a staggering decline in newsroom employment, it's clear that the once mighty realm of print journalism is facing its own existential crisis. As reporters vanish faster than a breaking news alert, and newsrooms shrink faster than a poorly written headline, one can't help but wonder if the age of holding yesterday's news in your hands is becoming just that - a thing of the past. So, to all aspiring Woodward and Bernsteins out there, hold on tight to your press passes, because the digital winds of change are blowing stronger than ever. It's adapt or go the way of yesterday's front page - yesterday's news.
Reader Habits
- In 2021, 25% of Americans said they do not read a print newspaper.
- Print newspaper readership among adults in the U.S. dropped from 28.6% in 2016 to 16.3% in 2020.
- 25% of Americans say they canceled a subscription to a print newspaper in the past year.
- Print newspaper readership among adults in the U.S. decreased from 47% in 2008 to 16% in 2020.
- The number of newsprint pages in newspapers has declined by 50% since 2008.
- Weekly newspaper print readership among adults in the U.S. declined from 46% in 1997 to 16% in 2019.
- From 2009 to 2019, daily newspaper readership in the U.S. declined by 34%.
Interpretation
The decline in print newspaper readership seems to be racing faster than a deadline at a newsroom. From 2008 to 2020, the numbers have plummeted like a poorly researched article, with an almost comical 50% decrease in newsprint pages, leaving ink-stained fingers in its wake. It seems that canceling a subscription to a print newspaper has become as trendy as a viral tweet, with 25% of Americans jumping ship in just the past year. As daily newspaper readership in the U.S. dropped by 34% over a decade, one thing is clear: the newspaper industry is facing a story so gripping that even the most seasoned journalists have yet to write the last chapter.
