Combined print and online newspaper advertising revenues totaled $6.6 billion in the first quarter of 2009, according to the latest figures from the Newspaper Association of America.
This was down more than 28% on Q1 2008 when total revenue was $9.2 billion, said the NAA.
The NAA said that there were across the board declines in print and online in the first quarter, with print classified revenues down 42% year on year.
National and regional print revenues were also down, by 26% and 24% respectively. Overall, print recorded a 28% year on year decline, from $8.4 billion in Q108 to $5.9 billion in Q109.
Online newspaper advertising revenues were $696 million for the quarter, a 13% year on year fall.
A recent survey from The Rosen Group found that a majority of US adult consumers still consider print editions of newspapers and magazines indispensable sources of news and entertainment (see US adults still consider print media valuable entertainment source).
Nearly 80% of respondents subscribed to magazines while 83% said that daily newspapers are still relevant.
However, a report from the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press revealed that 42% of Americans say they would not miss reading their local newspaper if it were to shut down (see Local newspapers would not be missed by 42% of Americans).
The research found that those in the youngest age groups were least likely to miss newspapers, while those who get local news regularly from newspapers are much more likely than those don’t to see the potential shutdown of a local paper as a significant loss.
