Will it be 2% till “no more”?

Last week it was reported that the print media had suffered yet another decline in newspaper circulation of 2 percent last year.

This of course is attributed to changing generational attitudes about newspapers and the shift to the internet. The implications being that over time the 2% loss will accellerate and the newspaper industry will find itself as a set of vanishing products and brands.

Can they halt the slide?

Depends on your view of the future. The i-pod sales have slowed, whilst i-pad sales have soared. Both Fairfax and News have signalled pay-for-news content will be just around the corner. What we have experienced is that despite the web growth, when it comes to quality candidates for recruitment, there is no substitute for newspaper advertising.

It is not me pushing a barrow. We have run some really decent trials. The results are interesting. Business and governement should support newspapers and their circulation, not only out of self-interest, but in order to have alternative communication vehicles.

Geoff Holt