NAA: Newspapers Have Had 20 Quarters Of Consecutive Ad Rev Declines

Combined online and print newspaper ad revenues fell 6.9 percent to $5.9 billion in Q2, marking the 20th consecutive decline for the industry, according to the latest figures from the Newspaper Association of America.

The consecutive decreases began in Q306, when combined print and online ad dollars declined a mere 1.5 percent to $11.7 billion. Since that point, newspaper ad dollars have fallen 48.8 percent, and there is no sign of a comeback. On the plus side, if you can call it that, newspaper’s online ad dollars have risen for the sixth consecutive quarter, growing 8 percent to $803 million. Looking back 20 quarters ago to Q306, online ad spending for newspapers has gained about 25 percent. The numbers clearly show that while online ad spending is still growing nicely, it’s still a long way from offsetting the print losses from advertising as well as circulation.