The disappearing dead-tree audience

There are some interesting results in the latest release of nationwide newspaper circulation figures. Overall circulation is down 2.6 percent. USAT reports:
USA TODAY, published by industry leader Gannett (GCI), kept its place as the largest daily newspaper in the country and also chalked up a 1% gain in circulation to 2,293,137 for the six months ending in September, according to preliminary figures filed with the Audit Bureau of Circulations, an industry group based in Schaumburg, Ill.
The Wall Street Journal remained No. 2 in average total paid daily circulation, with 2,011,882, down 1.53%. The Journal’s parent company, Dow Jones (DJ), is in the process of being acquired by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. (NWS).The New York Times was No. 3 at 1,037,828, a decline of 4.5%.
Newspaper circulation has been eroding steadily over the past 20 years, as reading habits change and as people turn to other media such as cable TV for news. In recent years the declines have been accelerating, especially at large metro papers, where there tends to be greater competition from Internet usage.
Believe it or not, the Los Angeles Times inched up .5 percent; the NYPost was down 5 percent.
The NYTimes’s daily circulation plunged 4.51% and Sunday circulation plunged 7.59%.
It’s all Bush’s fault!
***
Brian Maloney has an excellent post taking on MSM outlets who have the chutzpah to be lecturing talk radio about content:
At a time when paid newspaper circulation has taken yet another major nosedive, why do our mainstream media friends feel the need to lecture talk radio regarding its content? Ours is a competing, yet thriving medium.
Perhaps the unsolicited advice should be flowing in the other direction.
***
Parting question: I’m curious about how many of you still subscribe to a dead-tree newspaper. It’s been years since I had one delivered to my home. How about you?
See what others have said
Note from Michelle: This section is for comments from michellemalkin.com's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that I agree with or endorse any particular comment just because I let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with my terms of use may lose his or her posting privilege.
Trackbacks
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Categories: Media Bias, New York Times
David Frum
» "The Chicago Way"


Jawa Report
» No Making Fun of Democrats!
Right Wing Nut House
» AYERS-OBAMA: THE VOTERS DON’T CARE
Weekly Standard
» CNN Actually Reports on Ayers-Obama Connection

NewsBusters.org
» The Most Clueless Man in Chicago

Stop The ACLU
» AP Attacks McCain Over Iran-Contra, Announces True Reason
protein wisdom
» CNN “special investigation unit” discovers that Obama lied about his relationship with Ayers









We get two newspapers. The local and the Sunday edition of the nearby big city paper.
The local is really local. The news fills only the first 3 pages. Then its on to the comics and sudoku.
We get the Sunday paper at the supermarket for 75 cents, about half price, so that we can save about $15 a week in coupons. I never read the content of that rag. Like others, I don’t even bother to watch the local news on tv:fire, shooting, fire, weather, cute animal story, sports. It never changes. Never anything that is in my local paper (unless we have a really big fire.)
Although you likely didn’t hear about it, former White House Press Secretary Tony Snow received a Freedom of Speech Award on October 16th from The Media Institute.
During his acceptance, Snow made some statements about liberal bias in the press, as well as the condition of the media industry, which fully explain why this event, as well as his address, went virtually unreported.
This is a rather long read, but every sentence is a bell ringer!
http://freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/192058
I have not subscribed to a paper in fifteen years at least.
I don’t have any subscriptions, but I love getting calls from my local “*Red* Star Tribune” and even the NYT asking do I want a subscription. It’s the one time I get to tell them they are nuthin’ but socialist rags not worth picking up dog poo.
I betcha they eventually get around to making the govt’ pay for them….
I get the local newspaper at the office. The publisher/owners are conservative and I get it for local coverage. As a local business owner I find it a valuable resource to at least flip through nearly daily to know the local goings on. I would much rather flip through the daily paper than try to sit through any of the local newscasts.
If every Doctors and Dentists’ offices would cancel their subscription to Time and Newsweek then those magazines will be in BIG trouble..
I get our local paper (there’s only 1 choice, sadly) on Sundays only. It pays for itself in the coupon inserts! I skim the rest but don’t really use it get the majority of my news. Sometimes its the only way to know about certain local affairs.
My wife demands that we subscribe to the local paper (not too liberal) for weekend delivery, so she can look at the ads. Otherwise I’d turn it off.
I fired the Charlotte Observer years ago.