5 newspaper stocks hit new lows - again

5 newspaper stocks hit new lows - again

The shares of five newspaper publishers plunged to new lows in early trading today, including the shares of GateHouse Media, which fell to $1 per share, threatening its ability to remain listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

Tumbling to new lows alongside GHS were Gannett (GCI at $16.43 per share), McClatchy (MNI, $4.58), News Corp. (NWS, $13.95) and New York Times Co. (NYT, $12.61). The companies sank to new historic lows on Friday, as reported here.

Media General (MEG) hit a new all-time low of $10.23 per share on Monday...

Readership Institute publishes study on newspaper readership and website usage

from editorsweblog

The Readership Institute released a study, including 100 US newspaper markets, to tally Reader Behaviour Scores between 2000-2008.  

Use of newspaper web sites was measured using a self-reported metric called SUM (Site Usage Measure). Individual online "experiences" with newspaper sites were analyzed. Web newspaper consumption and a newspaper site's social involvement were also studied.

For more details, here is the PDF document.

Opinion: Outlook for newspapers moving online is "bleak," with Google CEO Eric Schmidt

from editorsweblog

At a Beverly Hills Hotel conference sponsored by Adveritising Age, Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt said that in the future, "You will put all your information everywhere."

According to the LA Times, "If someone were developing a series like 'The Sopranos' today, Schmidt said, the producer would keep the basic weekly format but add hourly instant messages with hints of action to come, a daily teaser at 8 a.m. and at 5 p.m. and a three-minute clip with an advertisement for a show sponsor."

Schmidt suggested that while professional producers of video content will adapt to the Internet and find ways to replace any money lost as consumer habits shift, the future was not so certain for newspapers. "Entertainment will be the first to get through this gate."

Schmidt, however, said the "bleak" outlook for newspapers is "a tragedy," in part because "investigative reporting is so important for democracy."