Online ad spending, projected by the Internet Advertising Bureau to be close
to $2 billion for 1998, doesn’t seem to be making a dent in newspaper ad
spending.
Newspaper advertising expenditures in 1998 totaled $43.9 billion, an increase
of 6.3 percent over 1997, according to preliminary estimates from the Newspaper Association of America. For the fourth
quarter, ad spending was up 4.9 percent to $12.7 billion.
In 1998, retail ad spending was $20.3 billion, an increase of 5.7 percent.
Classified expenditures grew to $17.9 billion, an increase of 6.6 percent, and
national hit $5.7 billion, for a gain of 7.7 percent, the NAA said.
“This growth continues to reflect the ongoing strength in local markets
across the country and is consistent with our earlier forecast for the year,”
said NAA President and CEO John F. Sturm. “We expect to see another year of
share growth as advertisers continue their spending in newspapers.”
NAA is a nonprofit organization representing the $54 billion newspaper
industry and more than 1,700 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada.