At the World Newspaper Congress in Vienna, Christoph Riess presented the results of the annual study WAN-IFRA has been carrying out since 1988. Media-consumption patterns vary widely per country, confirming the culturally defined media landscape. Today, newspapers account for 80% of media-consumption time, but only 20% of advertising revenues. Internet consumption is increasing worldwide, and therefore newspaper readers also have more choices. Newspapers will have to do more to attract readers and to create loyalty. Daily print circulation declined by 2 percent in 2010, but the drop was largely compensated by the growth of digital newspaper readers. In fact, in terms of readership, newspapers reach 2.3 billion people every day, 20 percent more than the 1.9 billion that the Internet reaches worldwide.

Free newspapers took a big hit in 2010, a drop in total distribution of 24 million copies, from a high of around 34 million in 2008. “The hype is over,” said Mr. Riess, “although free newspapers have added energy to the industry by encouraging a lost younger generation to read newspapers. Newspaper advertising revenues were up 2 percent in Western Europe, after a 5-year decline of 12 percent. Globally advertising revenues were down 3 percent. Digital advertising revenues are not compensating for this print advertising loss.