Big U.S. Papers Take a Big Hit

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Posted on Apr 27, 2009

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Paper in peril: The New York Post is one of several major U.S. newspapers to see circulation numbers plummet of late.

We’ve all been hearing this refrain for some time, but this is getting even more serious, people: According to Business Week, circulation numbers for 11 of the 25 biggest newspapers in America have taken a nosedive—the worst drop yet since the mediapocalypse in the print world commenced.

Business Week:

It’s the most severe downturn since newspaper circulation began to crumble in the early 1990s. The erosion has been accelerating during the recession of the past 16 months: U.S. newspaper circulation decreased 4.6 percent in the April-September period of 2008 after falling 3.6 percent in the October 2007-March 2008 span.

In the most recent report, 11 of the 25 largest newspapers sustained double-digit declines in average weekday circulation. The New York Post was hit hardest, with its weekday circulation plunging more than 20 percent, or about 144,000 copies, to 558,140.

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By Paul, April 29, 2009 at 9:32 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Beetlejuice—I don’t get your Samsung reference. Please explain! I see Samsung a lot—cell phones, HD TVs, cameras, even microwave ovens.

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By Beetlejuice, April 29, 2009 at 1:20 am Link to this comment

I was reading the book, The Shock Doctrine, and I realized that everything I understood about events in the past were reported with an intended bias; to mislead the reader for some purpose either political or morale.

For example, when Boris Yelsen was storming the Duma with tanks and soldiers in Moscow in the early 1990’s, I was under the impression the Duma was trying to keep the old Soviet Union intact. In reality, it was the exact opposite! The Duma and the Courts were trying to exercise democratic reform and it was Yelsen who was fighting the change! Same thing with the demise of the Asian tigers - ever notice the Samsung brand name isn’t around anymore? They’ve been masaging the news since the early 70’s with Pinochett in Chile that I can recall.

While there are reporters in the print media I admire, their employers earn my disdain. So as long as news is considered to be ripe for exploiting so as to turn a profit, I’ll spend my money on other media efforts that have an interest in giving the public the facts behind the events for what they are, not for the profit they can generate.

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By Mary Ann McNeely, April 28, 2009 at 6:39 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Out here in the Bay Area, we have the San Francisco Chronicle, an insult to the bottom of bird cages worldwide!

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By NYCartist, April 28, 2009 at 3:53 pm Link to this comment

About the illustration: The NYPost is not a newspaper. It used to be.

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By tropicgirl, April 28, 2009 at 12:39 pm Link to this comment

I just absolutely love this website. I just wish I could vote as the webby voting screen is malfunctioning.

Yes, I agree with many bloggers. THE NEWSPAPERS HAVE SCREWED THE PEOPLE IN THE PAST. They could have stopped the war and saved thousands of lives. They could have done a lot of good.

Locally, the newspapers have sided with the polluters and over-developers and really hurt citizen groups trying to save their local environment.

Good riddance. Monopolies really aren’t too big to fail. Watch them.

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By Eric L. Prentis, April 28, 2009 at 11:41 am Link to this comment

Newspapers, for the most part, just corporate and political propaganda, good riddance.

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By Shift, April 28, 2009 at 9:53 am Link to this comment

Newspapers became largely irrelevant to peoples lives, both nationally and locally.  They avoided serious and necessary issues to sustain advertising revenues.  Advertising revenues absent subscribers is death.  They became too corporate and money drove the system.  Bye bye !

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By Paul, April 28, 2009 at 6:59 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I agree with the comments so far. Without even trying very hard I can think of a dozen ways to improve newspapers. The current product is being soundly rejected for very good reasons.

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By Tony, April 27, 2009 at 7:21 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Let the media fall, don’t like what they are doing in the first place. These corrupt media conglomerates use to say things like ” What is true in the news is what I tell you is true”, and ” The movie is the fill, and the advertisement is the content”, and so forth. I say these guys are waking up to the damages they caused.

The people should void the broadcast leases, and start investigative journalism again. Get our president to do his job, and watch over the FCC who are there to prevent this kind of thing. You want “big change”, we just want you to do your job.

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By MARCUS MEDLER, April 27, 2009 at 6:07 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I AM NOT SO HORRIFIED,I AM AMAZED AT THE CONTINUED READERSHIP! MONOPOLIES FAIL THANK GOD. HULA HOOPS ARE A THING OF THE PAST NEWSPAPERS WILL CONTINUE JUST NOT OWNED BY THE CURRENT ROBBER BARONS.

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