Newspaper advertising expenditures for the third quarter of 2001 totaled $10.6 billion, a decrease of 10.3% from the same period last year, according to preliminary estimates from the
Newspaper Association of America. By comparison, total newspaper advertising in the third quarter last year was up 4.3%.
Retail advertising in the third quarter
fell 3.8% to $4.9 billion. National advertising was down 10.8% to $1.7 billion, and classified advertising slid 17.1% to nearly $4 billion.
For the first nine months of 2001, retail
advertising was down 2.2% to $14.8 billion, national advertising declined 7.7% to $5.3 billion and classified dropped 13.9% to nearly 12 billion. Total advertising in newspapers for the first nine
months was $32 billion, down 7.8% from the same period last year.
“This is about what we expected after recent, tragic events dealt another blow to an already slumping economy,” said NAA
President and CEO John F. Sturm. “Newspapers have proven their importance to both readers and advertisers during recent months, and the industry has positioned itself for recovery as the country
returns to business and the economy picks up steam.”
Within the classified category in the third quarter, real estate continued to show strength, gaining 18.8% to $929 million. Automotive
declined 5.5% to $1.1 billion, recruitment sank 39.1% to $1.3 billion and all other classifieds were down 10% to $623 million.
For the first nine months of the year, real estate increased 13%
to $2.5 billion, automotive declined 5% to $3.3 billion, recruitment dropped 30% to $4.4 billion and all other classified slipped 7.6% to $1.8 billion.
“The third-quarter figures reflect the
fact that the overall economy is in recession,” said NAA VP of Market and Business Analysis Jim Conaghan. “Our expectation is that the economy will begin to recover next year, with improvement in the
advertising numbers during the second half of 2002.”