First Circulation, Then the Ads

The downward spiral of print continues. Two weeks ago, the nation's papers reported a sharp downturn in circulation. Advertises are paying attention. From Dow Jones wires:

Advertising dollars spent on U.S. newspapers and their Web sites declined 7.4% in the third quarter to $11 billion, a further sign of a deteriorating trend in print publishing, the Newspaper Association of America said.

Spending for print ads in newspapers fell 9% from a year earlier to $10.1 billion, more than offsetting a 21% gain in dollars spent on Internet-based ads, the trade organization said. Online advertising now accounts for 7.1% of newspaper ad spending, up from 5.4% a year earlier.