In a talk on print and digital media, Eric Hanson from HP presented an interesting statistic on the decline of the newspaper business. In 1950, newspaper advertising revenue in the U.S. totaled around $20 billion, growing to approximately $60 billion in the year 2000. Unfortunately the year 2000 proved to be a peak, and with the growth of the internet newspaper advertising revenue is now back to $20 billion.
I knew that digital technology had affected the demand for traditional photographic film and related products, but I was unaware how it had affected other sectors of the economy. With relatively high production costs and a decline in revenue of this magnitude, how long can newspapers remain in business?
All About Images Blog 
They’re going to have to figure out how to deliver news without using paper AND still charge for it. I LOVE my online subscription to the Star Tribune, and I’m a reader who never would have subscribed to the paper edition (because I live so far away). THAT’S the consumer they’re going to need to appeal to.
I’ve always wondered if anyone subscribed to the online newspaper subscriptions. I get free online access because I get the print version, but I doubt I would subscribe to the online version if I had to. There are simply too many online sites that are free.