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Newspaper Revenue Slumps 28% in Q3; Online Falls 17%

Published on November 19, 2009 | Email this article

Total newspaper advertising revenue slumped another 28% in the third quarter compared to the same quarter in 2008, from $10.1 billion to about $6.4 billion.

The loss in Q3 is only slightly better than that in the first quarter of 28.3% and in the second quarter of 29%, according to MediaPost.

Classifieds plunged 64.7%, while real estate and auto both saw 43% declines.

Print was not the only area to see revenue plunge. Online revenues fell 17%, from $750 million in the same quarter last year to $623 million this year.

This is the 14th straight quarter of revenue declines; online revenue has fallen for six quarters straight.

As ad revenue declines, the debate about paid versus free content online continues. The Boston Globe this week unveiled a paid digital product for $4.98/month, which allows users to read it either online or via e-readers. Meanwhile, News Corp has announced it will no longer allow Google to index its content on Google News.

Yet despite the turmoil in the newspaper industry, most Americans admit to still reading them. According to Scarborough Research’s latest Integrated Newspaper Audience study, 74% of American adults - or 171 million people - either read a newspaper or visit a newspaper website at least once a week.

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