The News & Observer got skinnier last week. The newspaper removed the movie summaries from the Channels TV book on Sunday, reducing its size by 10 pages.
The biggest reduction has been the elimination last year of daily and Sunday stock listings, which cut out 14 pages a week. The Sports section has been shaved by about six pages a week. And next month, The N&O will cut two more pages from the Sunday paper by combining two sections -- Arts & Entertainment and Sunday Journal -- into a new Arts & Living section.
Vaden did some checking around, and learned alot of American newspapers are shrinking.
I checked last week with fellow ombudsmen at other papers, and all reported similar or worse losses in news space. The Baltimore Sun cut its book pages from two to one, eliminated the Saturday op-ed page and cut the TV book. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reduced its religion and home and garden sections, as well as its TV listings. The Arizona Daily Star cut out a Monday business section. The Hartford Courant eliminated its staff-produced Sunday magazine. The Charleston Post and Courier cut its Sunday business section.
At some point, shrinking the product makes the paper less valuable to readers, and that ultimately can hurt readership, circulation and advertising --which could lead to further cuts.
Hat tip: Romenesko
