PressEthic

An article that appeared on Yahoo! News (via Reuters) states that combined revenue for newspaper and online ads, including classified ads, slid 1.5 percent. This is the first time the revenue has slipped since 2004 when the Newspaper Association of America began tracking it.

Is anyone surprised?

As one might expect, the revenue for only online spending increased 23 percent to $638 million. It is the 10th consecutive quarter it has increased. Again, no surprise.

Falling automobile and help-wanted classifed ads are being blamed for the dip in revenue. According to John Kimball, the NAA media spokesperson, the "business is changing, but he cautioned that 'one dip does not a trend make.'"

Not to harp on the same point, but is anyone shocked that Americans are placing less classified ads. Isn't that what Craig's List is for? And, it's free.

The part of the article that did come as a surprise was that the Newspaper Association of America has only been tracking ad revenue for the combination of print and online since 2004. As the trade association for this particular industry, shouldn't they have been doing that long before 2004? Surely, print media was feeling the impact of online media long before then.