Each year, I survey U.S. publishers and general managers about the health of their newspapers. During the late spring/early summer of 2020, I received completed surveys from participants representing 500 newspapers or groups. In my previous column, I discussed some of the overall results of the survey, especially those related to financial health. In this column, we’re going to look at some of the differences noted between daily and weekly newspapers.

In some areas of the survey, there were little differences between weeklies and dailies. For instance, when compared to two years ago, both groups report similar health. While 58 percent of weekly newspapers indicate worse overall health than two years ago, 63 percent of dailies gave the same response. Most newspapers in both groups answered “not bad” to “very healthy” when asked about their overall health, while 14 percent of weeklies and 19 percent of dailies indicated they were in poor health.

When it comes to page count, again we see some similarities. 68 percent of dailies answered they had reduced pages compared to two years ago, while 61 percent of weeklies responded similarly.

Digging into other questions, we begin to see differences between dailies and weeklies:

• 71 percent of weekly newspapers are independent, with local owners, while only 27 percent of daily newspapers are owned and operated in their local communities.
• The primary source of revenue for 98 percent of weekly newspapers is print advertising. The same is true for 81 percent of dailies, with subscriptions and digital advertising bringing in a higher percent of revenue than at weeklies.
• While only 7 percent of weekly newspapers answered that their digital efforts were financially profitable, 22 percent of daily papers see a financial profit on digital platforms. 30 percent of weeklies and 43 percent of dailies indicate they see other benefits besides financial profit from their digital efforts.
• 30 percent of daily newspapers report that more than 20 percent of their revenues come from “non-newspaper sources.” Only 6 percent of weeklies responded the same way.

Speaking of digital, only 32 percent of daily newspaper publishers/managers responded that it “might be true” that they would be better off without a digital version of their newspaper. That number jumps up to 44 percent for weekly papers, with an additional 15 percent indicating they believed they “would be better off” without a digital version. Add those together and 59 percent of weekly respondents answered they might, or would, be better off without a digital version of their newspaper.

One answer that has changed significantly since I began surveying newspapers six years ago is “How long do you think you will continue to produce a printed newspaper?” In 2015 and 2016 surveys, more than 90 percent indicated they would be producing newspapers more than 20 years into the future. In this most recent survey, roughly 48 percent of weeklies and 39 percent of dailies expect to be printing papers more than 12 years from now.

What about all that “fake news” we keep hearing about?  Fortunately, fake news is “fake news” in most places. While it is a problem for many daily newspapers where 21 percent of respondents answered that more than 25 percent of the folks in their communities consider them to be fake news, weekly newspaper seem to be more trusted by their communities. Only 2 percent of weekly newspapers answered, “more than 25 percent,” while 39 percent of weeklies responded, “That’s silly. None. Zero.”  51 percent of weeklies answered, “Somewhere between 1 and 10 percent.”

I guess it just goes to show, there are always a few crabby readers out there.

In the 2020 survey, hundreds of respondents sent in advice and suggestions about things that have worked at their newspapers. In my next column, we’ll take a look at ideas newspapers have come up with to increase revenue and readership. Yes, 12 percent of weeklies and 17 percent of dailies report being in better overall health than two years ago. We’re going to find out why.

Pulse Research, Inc., a leader in audience value presentations using shopping research for newspapers, and revenue development company, Advantage Newspaper Consultants (ANC), have formed an alliance to deliver Pulse Research and Pulse Sales Tools to ANC newspaper partners.

As a part of the agreement, ANC media analysts will use Pulse Sales Tools when they work with newspaper and media partners to develop revenue. This will provide ANC and their partners current shopping intelligence and the best ways to engage and help customers with the goal of closing more print and digital annual contracts.

Read the Press Release

The International Women’s Media Foundation has partnered with Craig Newmark Philanthropies to establish the United States Journalism Emergency Fund. This fund will directly support U.S. journalists in need so they can resume work essential to our functioning democracy. Made available to U.S. based journalists regardless of gender including men, these funds will:

• support journalists with immediate needs related to their professional work, such as medical aid, destroyed or stolen equipment and protective gear;
• support long-term journalist needs such as trauma, mental health services and referrals to legal support; and,
• support journalists targeted as a result of their reporting at events related to the highly charged political unrest and polarization in the U.S., including but not limited to elections, civil movements and other challenging environments.

Applicants must be U.S. journalists with journalism serving as their primary profession and must provide proof of their financial need. Funding is available to both staff journalists and those working independently.

Link to Application

The Society of Professional Journalists has partnered with experienced Black and LGBT journalists and educators, including the newly formed Trans Journalists Association, to launch a free race and gender hotline.

The hotline will offer fast answers for uncertain or confused journalists. You’ll speak to Black and LGBT experts who are getting paid for their time. But you don’t pay them. SPJ does.

You will gain confidential and nonjudgmental advice for your specific reporting situation in a calm conversation about controversial topics. This is a business transaction, no different than consulting a First Amendment attorney on a story.

Even if you choose not to follow that advice, you’ll hang up with an enlightened grasp of the race-and-gender issues currently in the news media. And whatever happens on your call, it’s all off the record.

Contact SPJ Race and Gender Hotline

Pulse has launched the second wave of their Covid-19 Impact Survey to help determine the impact of the pandemic on local shopping intentions. It’s not too late for NENPA members to participate for free and gather their own data and use it to drive revenue.

On Sept. 10 Sammy Papert from Pulse told NENPA, “It’s not too late we will keep the survey open for another month. That’ll give us time to process the data and have it on all client sites early in October for the Fall selling season. The only cost is pixels and paper. Everyone will get a copy of the relevant state or regional data; and, we have 30+ clients working to get their sample. We’re glad to help anyone do that!”

Pulse hopes the survey results will help address some of the business uncertainty. Giving local businesses, newspapers, and sales teams a better understanding of the next few months.

It’s simple to participate and Pulse provides the promotional materials. Invite your readers and website visitors to participate in the survey through ads in print, online, through any email news products and social media. Get a minimum sample to the survey, so that Pulse can verify promotion and you are on your way. Once the survey is completed Pulse will send you the survey results.

Pulse provides incentives for your audience to respond. They will award $1,000 to one respondent of the entire survey and promotion materials emphasize that responses are completely confidential.

To participate contact Papert at, (214) 505 – 6420 or spapert@sbcglobal.net.

Find out more information