Newspapers bucking circ declines
Sometimes the graphic is better than the story. The New York Times today features a rehash of the financial crisis facing American newspapers, but the awesome map that accompanies the story is something to ponder and bookmark. It illustrates the circulation trends at medium-sized and large newspapers, nearly all of which have lost print readers over the past three years.
But a few dots of blue on the map point to papers that have bucked the trend and increased circulation, including the Cincinnati Enquirer (buoyed by the Post’s demise), the Las Vegas Review-Journal (in the nation’s fastest-growing state), and the Deseret News (which has shifted its focus specifically to Mormon readers).
Can anyone explain the other blue spots, which appear to be in Lincoln, Neb., Fargo, N.D., and Corpus Christi, Tex.? [Thanks to Leonard Witt for noting this graphic.]
Nice to see my morning paper “The Deseret News” bucking the trend.
Wonder how long the Las Vegas Review-Journal will keep bucking that trend?
Do you have a sense, Don, of whether the News is winning away readers from the Tribune or what? And do you read the News because of its focus on the Mormon community, or is that an overblown explanation? —Zach
I should note that, despite its circulation gain between 2005 and 2008, The Fargo Forum has laid off nine percent of its workforce this year. Latest cuts announced today.
Click on the cinn. paper. No editorializing on the front page. Just news. Balance editorial page with comments from the left and right.
The Las Vegas papers did well because the Hotels supplied it to the rooms and in the restaurants. Now that occupancy and profits are down look for the Sun to suffer HUGE declines.
The Bee and Chronicle in Calif are amongst the most libersl sheets in the nation from the front page to the back. The northern california communites are becoming increasingly conservative with every tax increase and there they have Fed, State and local taxes climbing on everything.
Liberal propoganda papers are going broke and more balanced newspapers that deliver news and balanced opinion are holding their own or growing.
Great opportunity in Northern California for a real paper to come into exisistance.
We are indeed bucking the trend at the Deseret News. However, we have not shifted our focus specifically to Mormon readers. We are still a general interest newspaper, however we have two niche products that are geared toward Mormons. It might be interesting to note that our staff tends to be half Mormon and half non-Mormon–I’m in the latter.
Charlie Craine
Director of Interactive Media – Deseret News