For the fourth quarter in a row, News Corp watched revenues fall. Advertising revenue continues to slip in even the company’s biggest brands, such as the Wall Street Journal.

1. News Corp Still Hurting
For the fourth quarter in a row, News Corp watched revenues fall. Advertising revenue continues to slip in
even the company’s biggest brands, such as the Wall Street Journal.
The dynamics are similar to those faced by most traditionally print dominated news companies.
Declining print readership forcing brands to find a way to make that cash up online. So far, the
magic bullet solution eludes most companies. Many keep print around on veritable life support
while others have limited success with short-term solutions that have yet to be proven over time.
At News Corp, spokesmen said revenue has dropped about 8 percent. In addition, ad revenue
dropped by double digits – 12 percent. In the third quarter of 2015, digital revenue increased,
but, to date, not enough to keep up with the print decline.
Changing consumer appetites are nothing new in business. There was a time when horse and
buggy manufacturers were wealthy and sought after. A time when the stereo was a ubiquitous
household item. Cars and iPods destroyed those markets, completely changing how people
responded to personal travel and music.
Print news is on a similar, albeit slower, journey. Local news is fast becoming a staple with
smaller community publications pulling in the lion’s share of the profits while larger national and
international news agencies are focusing more on internet and social media profit tools. It’s a
market in which consumer tastes and choices far outpaced the industry’s ability to keep up.
Models didn’t exist ten years ago for how to make print advertising levels of cash online.
They’re more prevalent now, but not nearly good enough.
Leveling out the plunge and beginning to see profits climb again will necessitate a combination
of drastic model changes at every level of media as well as strong PR messaging to capture and
control consumer habits. Readers and viewers are spoiled for options and strapped for time.

2. Successful news agencies must cut through that noise and get consumers to buy into the
messaging if they hope to thrive again.
Jonah Engler is a financial expert from NYC.