In the era when 'news desert' expands, 1800 newspapers disappear in the United States in 15 years

by Katerina Radvanska

" Publication recession " is cried out in Japan, and the publishing industry has actually begun to shrink 20 years. The newspaper seems to be in considerable difficulty. In the United States, about 1,800 newspapers have disappeared in 2004 from 15 years, and it seems that the "news desert" which can not get news is expanding.

The Expanding News Desert | The Expanding News Desert
http://www.usnewsdeserts.com/reports/expanding-news-desert/

At the Media and Journalism School of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), we publish the site " The Expanding News Desert " which summarizes information on this "news desert". The map entitled "Do You Live in a News Desert?" On the top page shows the area where the newspaper has already disappeared and the area of ​​the remaining one paper.

According to the latest report, the number of American newspapers annihilated in 15 years since 2004, such as discontinuation, merger with other paper, is about 1,800. Breakdown is 60 daily and 1,700 weekly. It is 7112 paper of daily newspaper 1283, weekly newspaper 5829 that it is left. In the meantime, there is no "state that did not dispose of newspapers", and it is thought that there are hundreds of communities exposed to "news desertification". Already, of the total 3143 counties in the United States, about 200 counties are converted to "a county without any newspaper", and 1449 counties are in a situation of only one weekly paper. In addition, the number of counties where daily newspapers have disappeared is 2000.

70% of the disappearing newspaper, 1300 paper was issued in the metropolitan area, mostly weekly paper, the number of issues was less than 10,000 copies. More than 500 newspapers disappear in rural areas. Many readers in these areas are poverty farmers so far as to exceed the national average, the community tends to be isolated, and there is nothing to fill in the blank after the newspaper disappears. Many of the remaining newspapers are deployed in small rural areas, and it seems that the number of 5500 papers that are issued is less than 15,000 copies.

Although the decrease in the number of newspapers is as described above, the number of readers is also steadily decreasing, and the rate of decrease is accelerating. In the past 15 years, the newspaper's weekly circulation has decreased from 122 million copies to 73 million copies.

In addition, disappearance occurs almost before it is noticed. "Gridley Herald" with a history of 137 ended on August 31, 2018, but it seems that the sports reporter knew the end of that day on the day.

It's with great sadness that I announced that today was my last day as sports reporter for the Gridley Herald.

Our corporate owners at Gatehouse Media informed us today ... while we were putting out Friday's paper ... that it would be our last. We are being shut down to save money.

- David Vantress (@ sportsguydave66) August 31, 2018

Girdley Herald was issued by GateHouse Media, the largest publisher in the United States, and also in 2018, the oldest daily paper in the southwestern part of Missouri, Carthage Press was also abolished. The reason for stopping the issue of the newspaper is that "the newspaper is high".

With one day's notice, Gridley Herald staff prints final issue, closes its doors - Chico Enterprise-Record
https://www.chicoer.com/2018/08/31/with-one-days-notice-gridley-herald-staff-prints-final-issue-closes-its-doors/

If the paper is high, it should be digitized ... ... It is easy to come up with and it is easy to come up with and although a lot of entrepreneurs including venture companies actually tried a business model that provides news to the area, As companies in the metropolitan area concentrate, after all, once it becomes 'news desert' it seems difficult to return to original.

Also, like the above-mentioned GateHouse Media, the number of companies that own newspapers has also declined year by year, with the top 25 companies one-third of the whole newspaper, and the daily newspaper limited to two-thirds It is in a state of possession. For this reason, there are many cases that companies that do not have any interests with local companies are issuing local newspapers.

At the UNC Media & Journalism School, we conclude that if we can create a sustainable news business model even in the smallest market, we can restore confidence from the grassroots level to the media, but if there is such a business model, already entrepreneurship The houses should be flocking ... ....