How critical is the Los Angeles Times' condition?
Radioblogger
A picture, or better yet, a graph, is worth a thousand words.
As you can see, in 1970, nearly 1 out of 6 people living in the L.A. basin subscribed to the Los Angeles Times everyday. While the population has multiplied almost 70% in the 35 years, the Times' circulation has actually fallen. Today, about 1 in 13 people subscribe, and the trends are getting worse. This means that instead of offering advertisors a market saturation opportunity that demands their attention, the Times has nothing to offer any company serious about marketing in the 21st Century.
If that blue line were attached to a patient's heart, it would be time for the paddles.
So in a generation, more or less, they're reaching 5% fewer people in the second largest city in the country.
You know what I like about this graph? After that little dead cat bounce during the election of 2000, the strongest slide, the steepest part of the downslope, is from 9/11 forward. That's especially when the Los Angeles Times collectively decided to not face the war seriously, or report the war responsibly, and the public responded appropriately. Angelinos simply do not trust the Times on its war coverage.
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