Newspapers see drop in ad revenue… online

This can’t be good. Tribune (-4%), A.H. Belo (-11%), Lee Enterprises (-9%) and Scripps (-8%) all reported declines in online advertising revenue for the second quarter. “The decline in print has been so pervasive that it’s taking the online stuff with it,” said Benchmark Co. Media Analyst Ed Atorino. “This is the worst market we’ve seen.” Not all the newspapers are experiencing an online decline: the NAA says it still expects “double digit” growth over the next 12 months. By the way, as I’ve written before, I wouldn’t be surprised to see either flat or declining online revenue at some local TV sites over the next few months, thanks to the economy and a lack of revenue diversification.