The rapid deterioration of the daily newspaper industry continued unabated in the 3rd quarter, with the National Newspaper Association reporting that ad revenue fell 7.4%. Print ad revenue fell 9% and classified ad revenue fell 17%. Among the big 3 classified categories, real estate advertising fell 24.4%, employment classifieds fell 19.7%, and auto classifieds fell 17.7%. While many newspapers pointed to a 21% rise in online advertising as a faint glimmer of hope amidst the decimation, the uptick in online ad revenue was smaller than it was during the same period a year ago (25.3%), on a smaller overall revenue base. In other words, it’s not much of a glimmer at all, and certainly not enough to off-set the overwhelming decline of print ad revenue. It’s akin to celebrating the arrival of a thimble to bail out a dinghy with a 4-foot gash in the hull.

Tags: Death of the Dailies, Declining Newspaper Industry, Newspaper Revenue Falling Off the Cliff, Is This The End?