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No S***, Sherlock! Next six years tough for papers

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by Joe Williams, May 29, 2008.

  1. Joe Williams

    Joe Williams Well-Known Member

    From link on Romenesko site:

    Prediction: The next six years will be tough for newspapers
    American Journalism Review
    According to Mark Potts' projections, total newspaper ad revenue will fall until 2012, stay flat in 2013 and then slowly turn around, as online growth equals and then surpasses the losses in print. However, Charles Layton believes Potts has overestimated the likely revenue gains from the Internet.

    http://www.ajr.org/Article.asp?id=4517

    More like the next 60 years are going to be tough for newspapers.
     
  2. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    Have you ever hit the alarm clock in the morning, swung those legs over the side of the bed, stretched those arms, opened your squinted-morning eyes and said?: "Today, I'm going to have a good day."
     
  3. Ben_Hecht

    Ben_Hecht Active Member


    And for a lot of other people.
     
  4. pressmurphy

    pressmurphy Member

    Too many people inside the industry want to believe that a lot of newspapers' woes are tied to the economy in general. Well, we had a mildly robust economy from 2003 to mid-2007 but the newspaper industry continued its downward spiral anyway.

    Face it, a ton of classifieds revenue has left print and won't be coming back. Ditto for display ads from department stores.

    When we finally reach the point in time where online revenue gains offset print revenue losses, it's going to have more to do with the fact that we ran out of major ad segments that could deteriorate than it does with meaningful online gains.

    Even now, some of the big players are seeing year-over-year online gains of 12-15 percent even though as recently as four years ago they were projecting 20-25 percent gains would be sustainable for a decade. Gannett has been doing its best to not report comparison-friendly online numbers in quarterly and annual reports for that very reason.
     
  5. Mystery_Meat

    Mystery_Meat Guest

    The "Horse Wins Race" for AJR copy editors
     
  6. JayFarrar

    JayFarrar Well-Known Member

    I've come to love Joe Williams sunny optimism about the state of the newspaper business. Makes me happy.
     
  7. BrianGriffin

    BrianGriffin Active Member

    Hell, this story is flat-out optimistic...it actually found someone who sees things "slowly turning around"
     
  8. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    Joe Williams reminds me of a stand up act I saw ages ago...
    Improv, Hollywood. Janeane Garofalo:
     
  9. Joe Williams

    Joe Williams Well-Known Member

    Thank you. Thank you very much. I'm here all week.

    ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
     
  10. Joe Williams

    Joe Williams Well-Known Member

    What it comes down to, for me, is I have zero faith in the leadership in this industry. The owners are profit-mongers, the top newsroom brass are panicked, fearful for their jobs and largely incapable of deploying or devising "carrots" to get the best out of staffers and the department heads are panicked, fearful for their jobs and too willing to let the s*** run downhill while hardly ever -- in some cases, never -- fighting the good fight for the troops the way a sergeant is supposed to.

    I have more faith in the hands-on journalists, the readers and even the advertisers than I do the nimrods running the show. Look where they've taken us so far.
     
  11. fishwrapper

    fishwrapper Active Member

    I know. We know. For the love of god, we all know.
     
  12. Joe Williams

    Joe Williams Well-Known Member

    Then don't say I didn't warn you, fish. :D
     
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