The NAA (National Association of Newspapers) has revealed that newspaper ad revenues are off 9.4% to $42 Billion in 2007 vs. 2006.  That’s a huge number, even for the sinking fortunes of print media.  And one we’ll surely eclipse when the next round of figures are released next year.

I have worked with newspapers for years, and frankly, I don’t often pick them up looking for ad info anymore.  If I want to look at used boats, I go to CraigsList.com, for my news, I go online, or movie times, I go direct to the theater site (which is a link in my Iphone so I don’t even use the computer. 

I like to sit down on Sunday and read the Sunday Boston Globe and the New York Times.  I didn’t do that this week, and I didn’t do it last week, and I don’t particularly miss it. 

Events calendars in papers work for me, otherwise, I think they’ve got to start embracing alternative delivery models.  I said this last year and I’ll say it again:  someday the papers will outsource their printing and delivery functions and become information generation centers.  It’s what they do best.  And they should used every delivery mechanism that can work (financially) for them