US media revenues fell by 2% in 2012

US newspapers saw revenues fall two percent in 2012, an industry association said Monday, suggesting an easing of the woes of the beleaguered sector. The Newspaper Association of America, in what it termed the most comprehensive look at the industry, said revenues totalled $38.6bn last year compared with $39.5bn 2011. The group said the revenue mix is changing, offering a reason for optimism. Advertising revenues fell six percent, extending a recent trend, but other sources of income are growing, it said. This includes circulation revenue, which rose five percent. The survey said new revenue sources such as digital consulting for local business and e-commerce transactions grew by eight percent. "America's newspaper media are transforming themselves," said Caroline Little, NAA president and chief executive. "In virtually every community they serve, newspapers have the biggest newsrooms, the best-known brands and significant audience market share. Now they are building on those to find new ways to serve audiences and local businesses." The report, which covers US newspaper operations excluding international operations or non-media enterprises, found that $18.9bn of revenue came from print advertising and $3.4bn from digital advertising. A study last month by the Pew Research Centre's Project for Excellence in Journalism said newspapers "have started to experiment in a big way with a variety of new revenue streams and major organisational changes."