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2006-05-08 Home Front: Culture Wars

Newspaper Circulation Declines 2.6 Percent

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Posted by Frank G 2006-05-08 11:35|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Not real surprising. Free news over the internet is taking its toll. I don't think the news wire services are benefitting either - they're migrating from a model of selling wire stories to a lot of small newspapers to dealing with internet behemoths like Yahoo, Time Warner and MSN. Their ability to set prices has gone into the toilet. Their stories are still being read - perhaps more widely than ever, but the revenues per story are getting crunched. The $15 monthly New York Times or WaPo subscription is now going towards the cable, broadband or Netflix bill.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2006-05-08 12:43|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2006-05-08 12:43|| Front Page Top

#2 So LeftWingViewsPapers lose customers faster.

Maybe someone in the Medja will notice?

Posted by Bright Pebbles 2006-05-08 12:44|| 2006-05-08 12:44|| Front Page Top

#3 BP: So LeftWingViewsPapers lose customers faster.

I doubt it - the Wall Street Journal's news pages are more left wing than the New York Times, and few people buy the Journal just for the conservative editorial section. Fact is that people read the Journal for in-depth business news, and there are no free substitutes available - the Journal is one of the few paid subscription-only newspapers on the Internet, and its business coverage is unequalled, despite the liberal bias.

Ironically, I think the New York Times and WaPo would make more money if they made their internet edition paid subscription only. Nonetheless, they're both better-run than Dow Jones and Company, the Journal's parent - their profit margins are much higher.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2006-05-08 12:52|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2006-05-08 12:52|| Front Page Top

#4 WaPo's biggest income is coming from its Kaplan Education division (coaching for SAT, GRE, LSATs etc...)

Posted by Seafarious">Seafarious 2006-05-08 13:54|| 2006-05-08 13:54|| Front Page Top

#5 seafarious: WaPo's biggest income is coming from its Kaplan Education division (coaching for SAT, GRE, LSATs etc...)

Not by much. Kaplan is also the lowest margin business (operating profit divided by revenue). The newspaper business has an operating margin of 15% compared to the Kaplan division's 11%. Makes sense, too - with newspapers, it's write once, sell many copies. A Kaplan instructor can only teach so many classes in front of so many students every day.

Posted by Zhang Fei 2006-05-08 14:32|| http://timurileng.blogspot.com]">[http://timurileng.blogspot.com] 2006-05-08 14:32|| Front Page Top

#6 WSj's biz news may be unequalled, but I've made some decent money off of IBD's stock picks. more than enough to cover my subscription.

Posted by anonymous2u 2006-05-08 16:22|| 2006-05-08 16:22|| Front Page Top

#7 Ohhh, and after I didn't renew the WSJ, they offered $100/yr w/net access.

Posted by anonymous2u 2006-05-08 16:22|| 2006-05-08 16:22|| Front Page Top

#8 Birdcage liner shortage crisis in 7,6,5...

Posted by Phomoger Phairt9809 2006-05-08 17:54|| 2006-05-08 17:54|| Front Page Top

#9 With what it costs to replace a long term customer with a new one, I am still amazed I never got a call from the Chicago Tribune after canceling my subscription last year that I originated in 1990. A simple "wuz up?'call would have told them exactly why I was leaving... I found the daily coverage of the Iraq war lop sided and lacking credibility.
I'd think they would want to have known this stuff...

Posted by Capsu 78 2006-05-08 18:49|| 2006-05-08 18:49|| Front Page Top

#10 They know, they just don't want to hear it.

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-05-08 18:59|| 2006-05-08 18:59|| Front Page Top

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