Commentary

Newspapers Worldwide Evidence Strong Rebound

Newspapers Worldwide Evidence Strong Rebound

A news flash release from the Director of Communications, World Association of Newspapers, says that strong evidence exists that the newspaper industry is on the rebound world-wide. The report notes that it is the circulation and advertising trend information that provide the best evidence of the newspaper industry rebound. Headlines from around the world are offered to support the WAN conclusion:

- Australia; All major Fairfax newspapers have experienced lifts in circulation in the first quarter.

- Canada; Paid circulation for the National Post has increased by 3.3 per cent for the key Monday-Friday period.

- France; Libération recorded its first operational profit in 2003 after three years and strongly reduced its net loss.

- Germany; Bertelsmann, the world's fifth-biggest media group, said it was back in the black in the first three months of the current year. And rival Axel Springer said it turned in higher sales and earnings rose in the first three months of the current year.

- Japan; Japanese agency giant Dentsu - the world's fourth-largest ad group - posted a 3 per cent sales increase for the year to March. Japan's ad market seems to be undergoing its first sustained recovery since the mid-1990s.

- United Kingdom; The fact that one of the hardest hit of the UK national newspapers, the Financial Times, is finally showing signs of stability can only be good for the industry.

According to the report, 2004 is off to a good start and 2005 looks to be a strong year for ad spending as well, said Robert Coen, the respected forecaster at Universal McCann.

The long-awaited International advertising recovery is now under way, and will be strengthened this year by the quadrennial combination of the Olympic Games, European Championship football, and elections in Canada and the US, according to ZenithOptimedia. The International Herald Tribune's global advertising package with sister newspaper The New York Times has delivered $2.4m in sales for the first half of 2004, an 39 per cent increase on 2003 revenues.

Visit the World Association of Newspapers' web site.

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