Newspapers: an industry in crisis: "Newspapers are dead but it will take a while for the body to cool down."
It's unofficially official: news print is dead. Behind closed doors, web editors are united in their predictions of doom.
These particular closed doors were at Cambridge-MIT Institute's digital technologies project last Friday, where the big guns of British and US media were discussing the future of online news.
All the editors and publishers were speaking under the Chatham House Rule, which means their quotes can't be attributed. But the consensus was clear: newspapers are dying and dragging their news sites down with them.
In the US, newspaper sales have stayed at the same level for 20 years - even though the population has increased by 25 per cent. Web audiences have boomed but newspaper sites have struggled to keep up.
So why are they falling behind?
Consumers Buying More Online Content: U.S. consumers spent more on online content last year, with the biggest boost coming from entertainment and lifestyle news, a trade group said Thursday.
Consumers handed over $1.8 billion in 2004 to content providers, a 14 percent increase over 2003, the Online Publishers Association said.
