http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/183352/beyond-ads-how-newspapers-survive-in-digital.html?edition=51784
Over the past few years, the pendulum has swung from the newspaper industry writing its own obituary to a new -- and what some might say is surprising -- trend: bullishness. When analysts recently expressed concerns about the future of his papers, Rupert Murdoch responded by saying: “The answer is one word: digital. News is the most valuable commodity in the world, even if fewer people are buying printed papers on crushed wood.”
This new optimism has emerged alongside some dire trends. The hope that print ad revenue might rebound (or at the very least, plateau) has passed. Print ad revenues are half of what they were in 2006) a reflection of the steep decline in freestanding inserts’ revenue and circulation. So, too, has unceremoniously ended the decade-long battle to see if online advertising can make up the shortfall.
