The Economist explores this question in its latest issue. It’s good coverage of the challenges newspapers face worldwide. Many will not resonate with Australian readers because our newspaper distribution model and therefore consumption practices are different than elsewhere. The fall in newspaper sales and relevance are not being experienced here on a scale equal to that being experiences overseas, particularly in the US.
While the disruption of the Internet, wireless access and mobile devices have impacted newspapers, one could say that the creation of these devices and the personal content/social media revolution are evidence of natural evolution at work. Maybe people are tired of being told what to think by overbearing publishers or poor quality stories coming from understaffed newsrooms. Maybe newspapers were better when they were run by journalists?
One reason women’s weekly magazine sales are strong is that they are true to their mission. Newspapers have strayed wide from their mission in the last ten to fifteen years and this makes it easier for consumers to look elsewhere.
The Economist report is well worth reading.