Major Locals

Newspapers around the world have seen a huge decline in paper subscriptions as internet websites, zines and web magazines began featuring news. Major locals including some of the top newspapers in the world struggle with declining subscribers, fewer readers and less profit.

Currently more Americans are finding news online than through newspapers, and about 27% of Americans are getting their news through mobile devices.

Many of those newspapers, including local newspapers, have begun making the switch to internet and digital media but many are also doing so slowly and either fighting the changes or not doing enough. Combined with the facts that newspapers don’t make nearly enough from digital adds and that other online websites are providing tough competition as a news source, many newspapers are facing rocky road and difficult transitions.

Experts suggest that newspapers aren’t dying but instead, will diminish in form within the next five years, and some might transfer to online only content.

Newspapers Depend On Jobs
Experts suggest that most newspapers will fail or succeed depending on the work available in an area. One such study indicated that while many newspapers were dropping in revenue, a small newspaper in a town with a sudden industrial boom increased by 20% with hiring ads and other content. This study suggests that papers should ride the times and expect profits when jobs boom.

Diversifying Adds Increased Revenues
One newspaper began focusing on its web newspaper and after diversifying web ads, increased profits by more than 50% for digital ads. Newspapers can take advantage of the internet to include diverse and targeted ads, sold to an audience that is deemed to respond to them, therefore increasing the revenue. Newspapers that diversify can target age groups, interests (sports, music, fashion, etc.), location and more.

Peace in The Newsroom
It could be said that many newspapers feature inner wars between their journalists, columnists and editors. In order to fully function in a digital environment, newspapers should work as a team, function together and create a sort of inner culture to include the digital environment.

The same study also warns newspapers away from shifting their focus too quickly. Newspapers make about 1/11th of the profit per digital ad as per paper ad meaning that it’s important to start slowly and build up a resource of online followers before fully making the switch or even thinking about cutting down on paper prints.

The most profitable venture for most newspapers is to work in both print and digital, seamlessly meshing the two together in order to cater to all types of consumers and readers. By offering digital news available on mobile and paper news delivered to the home, newspapers can join the digital age without sacrificing their highest revenue, print newspapers.

U.S. Newspapers by State
This is a list of the top 100 newspapers in the United States by daily circulation for the six month period ended March 31, 2012.[1] These figures are compiled by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

The following does not just include newspaper circulation – it also includes “electronic editions”.

See also

• List of newspapers in the United States
• Newspaper circulation
• List of newspapers in the World by circulation