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Newspapers •

Demise of the newspaper greatly exaggerated

Matthew Buckland: Publisher
By Matthew Buckland: Publisher
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At the World Association of Newspaper’s conference in Cape Town, Anton Harber on journalism.co.za writes that it is “Not all doom and gloom from newspapers”.

Negative perceptions of the future of newspapers were challenged by a barrage of figures by Timothy Balding, CEO of the World Association of Newspapers, where he says:

Newspapers in developing markets continue to increase circulation by leaps and bounds, and in mature markets are showing remarkable resilience against the onslaught of digital media. Even in many developed nations the industry is maintaining or even increasing sales

Here are the figures:

  • Daily, 515-million newspapers are sold across the world by 1,6-billion people.
  • There are now 11 207 titles around the world, the highest in history.
  • Paid newspaper sales were up 2,3% last year, and 4,3% if you include free newspapers
  • Newspaper advertising revenue increased 3.77 percent in 2006 from a year earlier, and was up 15.77 percent over five years.
  • 41% of newspaper titles were tabloid versus the broadsheet format, which is now just 40% of titles.
  • The biggest growth came in free newspapers, particularly in Europe, which were up 46% last year to make up 32% of the European newspaper market.
  • The number of papers with websites went up 80% in the last three years and 16% in 2006.
  • The Japanese remain the world’s greatest newspaper buyers, with 630.9 daily sales per thousand adults. They are followed by Norway with 601.2 sales per thousand, Colombia with 587.8, Finland with 514.7 and Sweden with 466.2.
  • In Africa, sales were up 8.24 percent in South Africa in 2006, and 43.18 percent over five years. Sales were stable in Nigeria and Kenya in 2006 and up 7.89 percent and 1.90 percent respectively over five years.

    • (source: WAN-PRESS)

    (WAN is a Paris-based, global organisation for the newspaper industry, and defends and promotes press freedom world-wide. It represents 18,000 newspapers; its membership includes 76 national newspaper associations, newspaper companies and individual newspaper executives in 102 countries, 12 news agencies and 10 regional and world-wide press groups.)

    Matthew Buckland: Publisher

    Matthew Buckland: Publisher

    Matthew Buckland is an internet entrepreneur and investor with more than 20 years’ experience working in management and strategic roles for internet and technology businesses. His specialisation is internet and digital media, marketing and content. He founded the digital marketing and strategy agency Creative Spark which he sold in 2015, five years after he founded it, to UK-listed firm M&C Saatchi PLC. After an earn-out of approximately 3 years, Matthew eventually exited his company in 2018, taking a division of the company, Burn Media, with him. He currently runs the Burn Media Group -- a grouping of technology publishing brands which report on emerging markets: Memeburn.com, Ventureburn.com, Gearburn.com and others. Matthew is EIR to the Media Development Investment Fund (MDIF), a New York and Prague-based global media fund, helping its investees with digital strategy and business models in a range of countries. The MDIF has invested more than $166-million in over 114 independent businesses in 39 countries.

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