The Afternoon Newspaper War

In: The Harvard international journal of press, politics, Band 5, Heft 4, S. 1-7

Abstract

Over the past 50 years, hundreds of afternoon newspapers have lost customers & folded, but three newspapers -- the Seattle Times, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, & the San Francisco Examiner -- are struggling to hold on. Various challenges have beset afternoon newspapers including urban sprawl, rush hour traffic, distribution problems, competition from 24-hour TV news coverage, & instantaneous news on the Internet. In the past, the morning newspaper presented the breaking news while the afternoon paper specialized in analysis & commentary on that news. Since the presence of a second newspaper enhances quality through competition & strengthens democracy through the expression of differing viewpoints, the battle for survival of two newspapers in a city is of great importance. The strategies used by the evening newspapers that have survived thus far are discussed, but a shift to morning publication is the likely outcome. 4 References. L. A. Hoffman