Jason Stverak: June 2010 archive
Newspaper journalism isn't dead; just look at the numbers
June 4, 2010
Headlines read, “Newspapers are dying” and “Struggling newspapers fear the future.” The future for traditional newspapers is grave at best.This doomsday outlook for newspapers has been repeatedly reiterated in study after study. From polls showing dwindling circulations numbers to surveying the social media platforms that people now use for news, these studies have shown that traditional newspapers are no longer a thriving business model.
However, a new study was recently released by the Newspaper National Network that found the number of unique visitors to US newspaper websites is at an all-time high. From March to April 2010, the top 25 markets grew 10 percent reaching 83.7 million. These visitors generated a total of more than 2 billion page views in April, up 24 percent from 1.6 billion page views in January.
This study is a strong indicator that journalism isn’t dead. Nor is the quest for news diminishing as the newspaper industry has struggled. And while newspapers lay off journalists and fail to meet the needs of the public, it is now apparent that Americans are actively finding an alternative source to keep abreast on the news they care about.
Another interesting aspect of this study is that newspaper websites, collectively, were more popular than sites like CNN.com or MSNBC.com. This is a dramatic change of website usage of the past. No longer, are most Americans turning to national news sites before browsing their own local newspapers.
This is great news for every newsroom around the nation. In fact, this may be the silver lining for the survival of newspapers. By turning attention to optimizing their website, these newspapers may be able to save themselves from bankruptcy, laying off staff, and ultimately shutting their doors for good. More...
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