Newspapers are on their way to bouncing back, according to a prediction made by Borrell Associates. Full article can be read on Marketing Charts

The article outlines the following reasons Borrell believes they are on the right path to recovery: 

1. First in, first out: Newspapers were the first medium that the internet forced into a “period of adjustment,” and they will be the first to emerge from it after working their way up the learning curve.
2. Big papers took the hit: When the internet decimated classifieds and major retail, this affected the industry’s biggest papers which took the whole industry’s revenues down. However, the revenue decline has been much less severe for the majority of the US’s smaller newspapers. For these papers, Borrell expects growth to come from geographical targeting to a wide base of non-classified, non-department-store local advertisers. This will happen even as larger papers continue to experience layoffs, abbreviated publication schedules and outright closures in order to “right-size” themselves.
3. Newspapers selling smarter: After emerging from a long-time, complacent “comfort zone,” newspaper sales and marketing teams are evolving in earnest. They are becoming proactive about discovering and meeting customer needs, selling against the competition, and taking no client for granted, especially in local ad markets.
4. A rising tide lifts some boats more than others: As the country’s economy begins to improve in the latter part of this year, newspapers will capture a bit more of the
   resulting growth in ad spending than their current share. This will come in part from growth in pre-print and free-standing insert revenue from advertisers migrating out of direct mail. Additionally, the auto, real estate and recruitment sectors will resurge as the economy improves and some revenue will flow to newspapers.
5. Internet contributions: Beyond simply enduring the punch landed by the internet, newspapers are using the web to generate a significant portion of their revenues and profits. Although Borrell Associates counts newspaper online revenues as online rather than newspaper revenue, it forecasts that side of the business will begin to provide more support to the print side.

Founded in April 2005, Positive Magazine has become an in-flight publication for US Airways Shuttle, United and Continental Airlines. Tiffany Love of Positive has answered Mediabids' questions.

(MB) Five years from now what role will publications like yours serve? For example, some people predict a complete migration to the web for many types of publications. Do you?
(PM) There are many advantages to the web, but there are certain aspects of "web publishing" that don't come close to print. For instance, when you go home from work today and check your mailbox, do you only want to see bills or receive some good news? Do you want to read on your handheld device or flip through the pages? How long can someone look at a computer screen without feeling exhausted and tired? There is a sense of command that we feel with our magazines and it should be welcomed information.
However, I do think that the number of publications will be reduced, but I don't see the industry being completely eliminated. 

(MB) What sort of measures has your publication put in place to either conserve costs or boost revenue?
(PM) Positive Magazine is very much focused on the environment so, we are already in conservation mode. We are now marketing our efforts and partnering with other media outlets.

(MB) Looking forward to 2009, do you have any significant changes in store for the new year?
(PM) We will continue to work hard and remain Positive. The economic situation can bring a lot of good virtues and we want to be prepared for the good that comes from weathering difficulty. 

(MB) How does your publication hire and, even more important, retain top sales personnel?
(PM) It's so difficult to find committed people. I really wish publications could share talent. At the end of the day, if it is to be then it's up to me. I'm really tired. 

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