Newspapers are a business, not a library

Kids from the '80s will be "gone"
in 10-20 years? Damn. That sucks.

 

Won’t be a print product. Print is dying right in front of us and the best delivery system available is a smartphone app.

 

Average life expectancy is 72 for males. So in 22 years a 12 year-old boy from 1980 will be 72. Time is running out on the '80s kids.

 

I'm saying no printed newspaper. I'm sure the NY Times will be fine.

 

Lovely.

I was 12 in 1980. Just finished filling out the paperwork for my colonoscopy.

Fun night.

 

IMHO, many print editions won't survive the next recession. R.O.P. ads still haven't rebounded from 2007-08; that's why so many shops are cranking out lame special sections and "targeted market" magazines, because it's the only way they can sell print ads.

The rest of the economy has been booming for years, while print media's downward spiral continues.

Remember, these loyal readers in their 60s and up never have been the main source of revenue. And corporate newspaper companies certainly treat them that way.

 

NYT will probably forgo the print product in a decade or two. Once that happens, everyone will follow suit.

 

No shit. I'm a kid from the 80s. I turn 42 next week. Guess I better get busy livin'.

 

Or get busy dyin'.

 

Well, I certainly feel a little bit deader.

 

Yeah, I was 12 in 1980 too. Had a colonoscopy at 45 and two years ago at age 50. Fun times.

 

You make a very good and fair point.

I would like to add, though, that while advertising is the main source of revenue for newspapers, it is the subscribers the advertisers are attempting to reach and it is the '80s kids that still read newspapers. The following couple of generations have completely abandoned newspapers.

Simple math says when the '80s kids are dead and gone, there will be no more newspaper readers/subscribers. Thus, the newspapers themselves will die too.