The trend line for the big-city metro newspapers in the North America has been well-discussed, but one sector bucking the decline is the community newspaper. It's still withstanding the effects of migration to the digital sphere.
The Suburban Newspapers of America (SNA), which represents about 2,400 papers in the United States and Canada, reports revenues declined only about 2.4 per cent in the second quarter. They totalled about $482 million in that period.
While that hardly seems like a success, it's dramatically better than the urban counterparts' record, particularly in the U.S., where the declines have been significant.
The reason appears to be two-fold: hyper-local editorial and advertising content more meaningful to neighborhoods and communities, and an emphasis on retail advertising of greater resiliance to national economic trends.