Ad Revenue: 1975 to 2005 
Nearly every indicator now signals a threat to newspapers. From 1950 through 1999 newspaper revenue grew seven percent a year. From 2000 through 2006, by contrast, it has grown by just 0.5%. Then in the first quarter of 2006, growth was even less: 0.35%. And though online ad revenues continue to soar, they currently account for just five percent of all newspaper company revenue. In addition to sluggish ad growth, newspapers are challenged by circulation declines, a skeptical Wall Street, ownership changes — such as Knight Ridder’s recent sale of its 32 papers — and perhaps most notably, adapting to the world of online news. In this, the third of the Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism roundtables on the future of the news media, six experts from inside the newspaper industry discuss its future, its fate, and the changes it must make to survive. The following are edited excerpts from the discussion. Read the full transcript.
Ad Revenue: 1975 to 2005  | Source: NAA: PEJ Res earch  | 20%  | 3 I I I  | 15%  | 10%  | 0%  | 2000  | -10%  | -15% 