"The CEO and Chairman of one of the world's leading media research companies, Forrester, said this two weeks ago: 'Now that the novelty (of the internet) has faded, business executives and consumers are going back to reading newspapers and watching television.' To be churlish, we might say that they never really went away, but the lesson in what George Colony said … is perhaps that, however consumer behaviour evolves, the newspaper industry is ready to respond."
Newspaper sales increased in many countries in 2000, while advertising revenues showed significant growth, according to the annual survey of World Press Trends.

The WAN survey showed that:

--Daily print circulation continued to increase or stabilise in many countries; where decline has been sharpest over the past decade it has generally begun to slow down.

--Globally, the newspaper industry has more print titles and circulation than ten years ago.

--Newspaper advertising income again showed very good growth and, in many countries, the press continues to win back market share from other media, particularly television. Newspapers in no less than 25 nations saw their ad market share increase or stabilise in 2000 and it is up or stable in 19 of them over the past five years.

--Spectacular increases in online readership suggest that the combination of print and electronic news and information distribution is expanding the audience for newspapers.

"We are in a growth industry. Whether in print or online," said Mr Balding, presenting the 12th annual WAN survey of the global newspaper industry.

"If print is ever going to disappear, which doesn't look likely in any near future, it's clear who is going to provide the new media platforms – your companies," he said.

The survey, which WAN has published annually since 1987, includes information on 64 countries.

The World Press Trends 2001 edition is available through the WAN online bookstore or by contacting the World Association of Newspapers, 25 rue d'Astorg, 75008 Paris France. Tel: +33 1 47 42 85 00, Fax +33 1 47 42 49 48. E-mail: contact_us@wan.asso.fr.

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Timothy Balding,
Director General,
World Association of Newspapers