Industry pundits speak out

The Australian newspaper industry has often been judged negatively, particularly by analysts who do not evaluate the full facts. While Australia cannot be isolated from the economic downturn, the state of the Australian newspaper industry cannot be compared to the struggling UK and US markets. The reality is Australian newspapers are robust, resilient and healthy.

See what others in the industry have to say about the state of Australian newspapers in light of the December 2008 readership and circulation figures.

"The results are far stronger than many industry commentators have predicted and demonstrate that newspapers continue to prove incredibly resilient...The figures reinforce the important ongoing and dynamic role newspapers continue to play in the lives of Australians, who collectively buy over 20 million newspapers a week."

Tony Hale, CEO of The Newspaper Works
The Australian: Newspapers stand solid in global crisis (February 13, 2009)

"The very encouraging thing for us is that, at a time of extraordinary interest in and attention to news – the economic crisis and the Government's response, the US election, the Middle East - people continue to turn to us to get the news."

Lloyd Whish-Wilson, Chief Executive & NSW-ACT publisher for Fairfax Media metropolitan publishing
Brisbane Times: Australian papers shrug off the decline (February 13, 2009)

“Fusion Strategy managing director Steve Allen said the fact newspapers are in decline was expected but rejected the "myopic view" of analysts here and overseas who are reading the segment its last rites.  ‘Frankly, what the North American analysts should be doing is recruiting all our newspaper executives, because if they could get a set of results like these they'd be fucking geniuses.’”

Steve Allen, Media Analyst & Fusion Strategy Managing Director
AdNews: Newspapers keep circ drops to a minimum. (13 February 2009)

“Many are predicting [the demise of newspapers] on the basis of trends in the US and the UK. They are not looking at the unique characteristics of Australian newspapers and their [audience] reach. Analysts are not doing their job properly and should be going into the characteristics of the Australian market in more detail.”

Brendan Hopkins, Chairman of The Newspaper Works & CEO of APN News & Media Limited
Australian Financial Review: Newspaper chief rejects talk of doom. (February 11, 2009)

"Predictions that newspaper circulation and advertising revenue would be cannabilised by online operators were not supported by the industry's own research"

Brendan Hopkins, Chairman of The Newspaper Works & CEO of APN News & Media Limited
The Australian: Don't write off local papers. (February 11, 2009)

“The Australian newspaper industry has nothing like the problems of other markets around the world.  The analysts say we are in a newspaper meltdown, but we are not.”

Steve Allen, Media Analyst & Fusion Strategy Managing Director
B&T: Sunday too far. (20 February 2009)

“Some people out there would have you believe no one is reading newspapers anymore, but I am sensing that people are starting to realise what a load of bunk that is.”

Tony Hale, CEO of The Newspaper Works
The Australian: Newspaper readership figures strong. (February 20, 2009)