U.S. newspaper advertising revenue fell from roughly $49.4 billion in 2005 to about $9.6 billion in 2020, a decline of about 81% (Pew Research Center, 2020). Newer eMarketer estimates put U.S. newspaper ad spend near $10.36 billion in 2025 and heading toward $9.82 billion by 2029 (eMarketer via Marketing Charts, 2025). The money did not disappear; it moved to digital platforms, and print never came back.
Executive summary
Newspaper advertising has lost about 81% of its value in twenty years, dropping from $49.4 billion in 2005 to roughly $9.6 billion in 2020 (Pew Research Center, 2020). Digital now supplies almost half of what newspaper advertising is left (48% in 2022, up from 17% in 2011), yet the total keeps shrinking. Meanwhile the broader U.S. ad market is forecast to grow 9.5% in 2026 (IAB, 2026), with digital taking 73% of global media spend (eMarketer, 2026). News lost the ad economy, not the audience.
Key findings
- 81% decline: U.S. newspaper ad revenue fell from ~$49.4B (2005) to ~$9.6B (2020) (Pew Research Center, 2020).
- ~$10.36B in 2025: eMarketer estimates continued erosion toward $9.82B by 2029 (eMarketer via Marketing Charts, 2025).
- 48% digital: digital was 48% of newspaper ad revenue in 2022, up from 17% in 2011 (Pew Research Center, 2022).
- 7% print: only 7% of U.S. adults often get news from print; 86% get it from digital devices (Pew Research Center, August 2025).
- ~3,500 lost: close to 3,500 newspapers have vanished since 2000, with 136 outlets lost in the year to the report (Northwestern Medill, 2025).
- ~50 million: roughly 50 million Americans live in a news desert; 213 counties now have no local news source (Northwestern Medill, 2025).
- 1 in 5 on TikTok: 20% of U.S. adults regularly get news on TikTok, up from 3% in 2020 (Pew Research Center, September 2025).
- $33.3B global: global newspaper ad spend fell to $33.3B in 2024 from $45.7B in 2019 (WARC via Press Gazette, 2024).
Newspaper advertising revenue: the long collapse
U.S. newspaper advertising revenue fell about 81% between 2005 and 2020, from an estimated $49.4 billion to roughly $9.6 billion (Pew Research Center, 2020). Pew’s series on publicly traded newspaper companies shows total ad revenue dropping from $23 billion in 2013 to $9.7 billion in 2022. Newer eMarketer estimates put U.S. newspaper ad spend near $10.36 billion in 2025, still sliding (eMarketer via Marketing Charts, 2025).
| Year | Estimated ad revenue | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | ~$49.4 billion | Pew Research Center (2020) |
| 2013 | ~$23 billion | Pew Research Center (2022) |
| 2020 | ~$9.6 billion | Pew Research Center (2020) |
| 2022 | ~$9.7 billion | Pew Research Center (2022) |
| 2025 (est.) | ~$10.36 billion | eMarketer via Marketing Charts (2025) |
| 2029 (proj.) | ~$9.82 billion | eMarketer via Marketing Charts (2025) |
Pew’s figure covers publicly traded newspaper companies and uses a different definition from eMarketer’s total-market estimate, so the 2025 number should be read as a separate series, not a continuation of the Pew line.
Print versus digital advertising
Digital advertising made up 48% of U.S. newspaper advertising revenue in 2022, up from 17% in 2011 (Pew Research Center, 2022). That shift did not rescue the industry: digital grew as a share of a shrinking pie while total dollars kept falling. Newspapers built digital audiences but never captured a proportional share of digital ad budgets, which flowed to search, social, and retail media instead.
| Year | Digital share of newspaper ad revenue |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 17% |
| 2017 | ~31% |
| 2020 | ~40% |
| 2022 | 48% |
For a fuller view of where those budgets landed, see our guides to programmatic and display advertising and retail media.
Where the money went: the broader ad market
Total U.S. ad spend is forecast to grow 9.5% in 2026, led by digital channels (IAB, 2026). Digital now commands about 73% of global media spend, with worldwide digital ad spend reaching roughly $740 billion in 2026 (eMarketer, 2026). The fastest-growing U.S. channels are social media (+14.6%), connected TV (+13.8%), and commerce media (+12.1%) (IAB, 2026), none of which flow meaningfully to newspapers.
| Channel | Projected 2026 growth |
|---|---|
| Social media | +14.6% |
| Connected TV | +13.8% |
| Commerce / retail media | +12.1% |
| Total U.S. ad spend | +9.5% |
For channel-level context, see our data on connected TV advertising.
Circulation and reach
Estimated total U.S. weekday newspaper circulation was 20.9 million in 2022, down 8% from 22.7 million in 2021 (Pew Research Center, 2022). Print-only weekday circulation fell 13% that year. Circulation revenue held far better than advertising, staying near $11 billion, an estimated $11.05 billion in 2020 (Pew Research Center, 2020). Print and digital newspapers together still reach roughly 116 million U.S. adults, about 44% (News/Media Alliance, 2024).
How Americans get news now
Only 7% of U.S. adults often get news from print newspapers or magazines, while 86% get news at least sometimes from digital devices and 56% do so often (Pew Research Center, August 2025). One in five adults (20%) now regularly get news on TikTok, up from 3% in 2020 (Pew Research Center, September 2025). The audience for news is large and growing; it simply lives on platforms newspapers do not own.
| Platform | Share of U.S. adults |
|---|---|
| Digital devices | 86% |
| Television | 64% |
| Radio | 44% |
| 25% |
Newspaper closures and news deserts
Close to 3,500 newspapers have vanished since 2000, with 136 local news outlets lost in the year to the latest report (Northwestern Medill, 2025). Roughly 50 million Americans now live in a news desert, and 213 counties have no local news source at all (Northwestern Medill, 2025). A separate watch list flags about 250 more counties at high risk of losing their remaining coverage within a decade. Most 2025 closures were small, independently owned papers.
Employment and newsroom jobs
Newspaper newsroom employment fell 51% between 2008 and 2019, from about 71,000 jobs to roughly 35,000 (Pew Research Center, 2018). Across all U.S. newsrooms, employment fell 26% between 2008 and 2020 (Pew Research Center, 2021). The losses concentrated in newspapers rather than digital-native or broadcast outlets, which is why local print coverage thinned fastest even as total news employment stabilized elsewhere.
Global newspaper advertising
Global newspaper advertising spend fell to $33.3 billion in 2024 from $45.7 billion in 2019, a drop of roughly 27% in five years (WARC via Press Gazette, 2024). The decline mirrors the U.S. pattern: a structural, not cyclical, contraction as advertisers followed audiences to digital platforms. Global total ad spend passed $1 trillion in 2024 even as newspapers’ slice kept shrinking (WARC, 2024).
| Year | Global newspaper ad spend |
|---|---|
| 2019 | $45.7 billion |
| 2024 | $33.3 billion |
Original synthesis: a structural shift, not a downturn
The data tells a consistent story across every source. Newspaper advertising did not fall because people stopped consuming news; 86% of adults get news from digital devices and the news audience is larger than ever (Pew Research Center, August 2025). It fell because the ad economy re-formed around platforms that own first-party data, real-time auctions, and measurable performance, which is exactly where 2026 growth is concentrated: social, CTV, and commerce media (IAB, 2026).
The print-versus-digital trajectory inside newspapers is the clearest evidence. Digital climbed from 17% of newspaper ad revenue in 2011 to 48% in 2022 (Pew Research Center, 2022), yet total revenue still fell about 81% from its 2005 peak (Pew Research Center, 2020). A rising digital share of a collapsing total is not a turnaround; it is a smaller business becoming mostly digital. Publishers that reversed the trend, such as national subscription brands, did so by monetizing readers directly rather than competing for the ad dollars that had already left. For advertisers, the lesson is that reach and revenue have decoupled: the audience for news is a distribution channel, but the ad money now sits with the platforms in between. See our overview of types of advertising media for how these channels compare.
Methodology and source quality
Every figure here is drawn from a named primary or authoritative secondary source with its publication year attached. Advertising and circulation revenue come from Pew Research Center’s State of the News Media, based on year-end SEC filings for publicly traded newspaper companies. Forward estimates use eMarketer (via Marketing Charts) and IAB forecasts. Closure and news-desert counts come from Northwestern University’s Medill State of Local News. Global spend comes from WARC via Press Gazette. Consumption data comes from Pew’s platform and social-media fact sheets.
Data limitations
- Pew changed methodology in 2013 (pre-2013 uses News/Media Alliance data; post-2013 uses publicly traded companies), so the long series is not a single continuous measure.
- Pew’s newspaper revenue figures run through 2022; 2023 onward relies on eMarketer and WARC estimates that use different definitions and should not be directly compared to Pew.
- Reach figures count audiences exposed, not paying subscribers.
- Local news counts mix dailies, weeklies, and digital-native sites, and definitions of a “news desert” vary by report year.
Frequently asked questions
How much has newspaper advertising revenue declined?
Estimated U.S. newspaper advertising revenue fell from about $49.4 billion in 2005 to roughly $9.6 billion in 2020, a decline of about 81% (Pew Research Center, 2020). eMarketer estimates put 2025 spend near $10.36 billion, still trending down toward $9.82 billion by 2029 (eMarketer via Marketing Charts, 2025).
Is circulation revenue falling as fast as advertising?
No. U.S. newspaper circulation revenue stayed near $11 billion, an estimated $11.05 billion in 2020, while advertising collapsed (Pew Research Center, 2020). Readers kept paying for content even as advertisers left, which is why subscription-led publishers have proven more durable than ad-dependent ones.
What share of newspaper advertising is now digital?
Digital made up 48% of U.S. newspaper advertising revenue in 2022, up from 17% in 2011 (Pew Research Center, 2022). Digital’s rising share reflects a shrinking total, not growth: total newspaper ad revenue still fell about 81% from its 2005 peak.
How much do Americans still read print news?
Only 7% of U.S. adults said they often get news from print in 2025, and 25% do so at least sometimes (Pew Research Center, August 2025). Print is now the least-used major news platform, behind digital, television, and radio.
How do most Americans get news now?
86% of U.S. adults get news at least sometimes from digital devices, and 56% do so often (Pew Research Center, August 2025). One in five adults (20%) now regularly get news on TikTok, up from 3% in 2020 (Pew Research Center, September 2025).
How much has newspaper circulation dropped?
Estimated total U.S. weekday circulation was 20.9 million in 2022, down 8% from 22.7 million in 2021 (Pew Research Center, 2022). Print-only weekday circulation fell 13% that year and Sunday print fell 16%.
How many newspaper jobs have been lost?
Newspaper newsroom employment fell 51% between 2008 and 2019, from about 71,000 to about 35,000 (Pew Research Center, 2018). Across all U.S. newsrooms, employment fell 26% between 2008 and 2020 (Pew Research Center, 2021).
How many newspapers has the U.S. lost?
Close to 3,500 newspapers have vanished since 2000, with 136 local news outlets lost in the year to the latest report (Northwestern Medill, 2025). Most 2025 closures were small, independently owned papers.
What is a news desert and how many people live in one?
A news desert is a community with little or no local news coverage. Roughly 50 million Americans live in one, and 213 U.S. counties now have no local news source at all (Northwestern Medill, 2025). About 250 more counties are flagged as at high risk within a decade.
How is the global newspaper ad market doing?
Global newspaper advertising spend fell to $33.3 billion in 2024 from $45.7 billion in 2019, a drop of about 27% in five years (WARC via Press Gazette, 2024). The contraction is structural and mirrors the U.S. pattern.
What does this mean for advertisers in 2026?
Total U.S. ad spend is forecast to grow 9.5% in 2026, but the growth is in social (+14.6%), connected TV (+13.8%), and commerce media (+12.1%), not newspapers (IAB, 2026). Advertisers reach the news audience through the digital platforms in between, not through print buys.
Rethinking your media mix as budgets shift to digital, CTV, and retail media? Book a consultation with Christoph Olivier to build an advertising strategy around where the audience and the measurable return actually are.