THE DYING INDUSTRY - AT 7:04 P.M. ET:  The newspaper industry is dying before our eyes:

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Circulation at newspapers shrank at an accelerated pace in the past six months, driven in part by stiff price increases imposed by publishers scrambling to offset rapidly eroding advertising sales.

Brilliant strategy.  As circulation weakens, raise prices.  That'll bring 'em in.

Average daily circulation at 379 U.S. newspapers plunged 10.6 percent in the April-September period from the same six-month stretch last year, according to figures released Monday by the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

They all believe it's the internet that has caused this, but it's much more.  The mainstream media has betrayed the public by pursuing, not news, but a party line, recently an Obama party line.  People have noticed.

It's the largest drop recorded so far during the past decade's steady decline in paid readership -- a span that has coincided with an explosion of online news sources that don't charge readers for access. Many newspapers also have been reducing delivery to far-flung locales and increasing prices to get more money out of their remaining sales.

The latest decline outstripped a 7.1 percent decrease in the October 2008-March 2009 period and a 4.6 percent decline in last year's April-September window.

Not every paper is suffering:

As both publications indicated earlier in the month, The Wall Street Journal surpassed USA Today as the top-selling newspaper in the United States. The Journal's average Monday-Friday circulation edged up 0.6 percent to 2.02 million -- making it the only daily newspaper in the top 25 to see an increase.

COMMENT:  Gee, I wonder why.  You don't think it has anything to do with great news coverage and a superb editorial page, do you?  Nah, that couldn't be it.  Must be the good paper they use.

October 26, 2009