Newspaper Readership Drops to New Lows

Average daily readership for newspapers plunged 10.6% versus last summer according to the latest reports. Newspapers like the New York Times reached new subscription lows. The Times daily readership dipped below 1 million for the first time in years.

However, it's important to note that we're talking about print readership here. Online news readership is exploding, even for the same newspapers that report such gloomy circulation numbers. The question remains whether print publications like newspapers can maintain the revenue levels they've enjoyed with their print editions.

Early indications suggest online ventures don't bring as much revenue for newspapers as traditional print products. Some efforts to charge for online content do little more than drive online readers elsewhere.

A few papers reported growth in the most recent period. The Wall Street Journal has edged out USA Today as the nation's most popular newspaper, illustrating the point that content rules. Readers are finding limitless free alternatives to national news on the web, but specialty financial news is less readily available. Thus, WSJ can attract a following while the more generic content of USA Today is less competitive.