U.S. Newspaper Circulation Numbers: The Decline Slowing

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U.S. Newspaper Circulation Numbers: The Decline Slowing [adage.com]

Newspapers' circulation losses have slowed further, to a 5% daily drop in the most recent report from an 8.7% decline in the spring report and a 10.6% plunge in the report one year ago.

Newspapers' crucial paid circulation on Sundays fell 4.5% over the six months ending in September, compared with the equivalent period a year earlier, the Audit Bureau of Circulations said today as it issued its biannual circulation report. That's an improvement, too, over the 6.5% decline in the spring report and the 7.5% drop before that.

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Newspapers are stupid. Also, they suck.

Our local daily is apparently staffed and run but a bunch of liberal clowns. They print much of the paper 1-2 days ahead, so by the time I get it, it's old news that I've already read on the internet. And our local weekly - which should be a snapshot of the community this week, hesitates to print anything even remotely controversial - when doing so would increase readership.

It's not just the internet. Mainstream media has lost touch with actual reporting. We get analysis and opinion instead of news. So much that we hardly even get the news anymore. I'm sick of it.

Doesn't have to be that way. I'm planning on starting a 'monthly' local publication next year that I'll give away for free, funded by small business ads (not looking to make money,just increase some local exposure). I'm going to have:
- local business reviews
- 'crybabies' or letters to the editor
- my 'peeps', or info on local people
- free classifieds
- my comments on local politics and politicians.

And that's all stuff that people will read locally, and still pick up a copy at the local store, then pass on to someone once it's read.