Friday, February 27, 2009

Biggest newspaper shutdown in 3 decades

Ken Doctor points out the Rocky Mountain News has a daily circulation of about 210,000, which makes it the largest newspaper to go belly up since Chicago Daily News, which closed in 1978 with a circulation of about 327,000.

If you are wondering, the about-to-close Seattle P-I has a daily circ of 127,000, according to Ken Doctor. And the just-might-close San Francisco Chronicle has a daily circ of 370,000.
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16 comments:

Anonymous said...

This isn't the biggest paper to close in three decades.

The Houston Post was bigger when it closed in the 1990s. And my hunch is there may be others closing that were bigger than the Rocky Mountain News.

Here's a graph from a 1995 Economist article about the Post's demise:

"WHILE America distracts itself with new on-line gimmickry, the relentless consolidation of the press goes on. The Houston Post, the smaller paper in the country's fourth-largest city (daily circulation 287,000; 317,000 on Sundays), has died after a lingering illness. Its assets have been purchased for $120m by the Hearst Corporation, owner of its crosstown rival, the Houston Chronicle (daily circulation 412,000; 607,000 on Sundays). Houston now becomes the largest American city with only one daily paper."

Anonymous said...

It's difficult to say goodbye to newspapers, but change is inevitable. My only hope is that news journalism, in whatever form, can begin to rebuild and become better and stronger.

Anonymous said...

The Dallas Times Herald ins the mid-1990s?

Anonymous said...

It really doesn't matter if it is the biggest paper to close or not, it is still one form of independent news that does not exist. Newspapers are special and many people enjoy picking that paper up off their porch or drive way. I am interested that you use a graph to demonstrate this fine papers demise. Who cares about the statistics, another publication just died.

Kris said...

The Dallas Times Herald's numbers were a little over 200,000 when Belo bought and killed them. I know it can't be helped, but jeez, I hate to see papers fold.

Anonymous said...

I feel like every journalist should head out to Denver for a vigil tonight. Very sad.

Anonymous said...

Will the SF Chron close...I don't think so...at least not yet. Transcontinental printing (Canada) is gearing up it's printing plant in Fremont, the presses are being installed as I type, to start printing the Chron and possibly other papers...putting the Chron's pressmen and others out of work and saving the paper millions. Stay tuned boys and girls!

Anonymous said...

I feel like every journalist should head out to Denver for a vigil tonight. Very sad.


LOL

Anonymous said...

I think every liberal filthy Marxist journalist should go to denver to hold their heads down in absolute shame.

They should then be paraded down the streets and have rotten tomatos thrown at them.

You filth have only your Marxist selves to blame. Give me a break!

Anonymous said...

Nice pitty party you guys are having today. Whoo is me, where did we go wrong. (sob, sob)

It's the market not our politics. We didn't know. Can't we just go back to the good times?

Think about it in the unemployment line Ace.

Anonymous said...

"Newspapers are special and many people enjoy picking that paper up off their porch or drive way."

Yes, people love looking for the paper which eventually landed in the storm drain. People also will always want vinyl LP records, 8 track players, videocasettes, rotary dial phones, and cars with carburetors and leaf spring suspension.

Anonymous said...

"They should then be paraded down the streets and have rotten tomatos thrown at them."

Nahhh, just blast a loud recording of Nelson Muntz at them.

Anonymous said...

Man, I feel sorry for all of you crazy, sad, pathetic, angry people who are taking so much pleasure in the death of the news business. You guys should have no problem getting jobs at the local pound to drown puppies and kittens. Losers.

Anonymous said...

The RMN was a great paper...among its best recent series was an expose on Ward Churchill and its incredibly powerful story about the Marine tasked with notifying families of their fallen.

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/local/article/0,1299,DRMN_15_3826262,00.html

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/special-reports/final-salute/

Anonymous said...

You guys should have no problem getting jobs at the local pound to drown puppies and kittens.


You're not really going to come in here and compare yourselves to puppies and kittens are you? Man talk about loser.

Anonymous said...

Anon 12:56 Very well put. Thanks