The end is here — for newspapers.
On life support for years, the print news model is taking its last gasp during the coronavirus crisis as people turn to TV, news websites, and social media for updates.
The latest Pew Research Center’s numbers show that the already tiny 7% of adults who got their news most from newspapers before the virus hit has dropped. Pew said that just 3% get their political news from print. And that was at the beginning of the crisis, according to Pew.
The percentage was so small that in its latest report on COVID-19 coverage and news use, Pew didn’t even highlight the crash of print other than to show the percentages of sources people get their political and election news.
Pew has been one of the leading outlets covering the decline of print. Its latest chart shows current circulation is lower than in 1940.
Its report comes as several news outlets are taking moves to cut staff and pay as advertising dries up during the crisis. Some have even chosen to suspend publishing or shut down.
