Newspaper Publishers NAICS 513110
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Industry Summary
The 3,500 newspaper publishers in the US produce and distribute news and other content in print or electronic form. Firms earn revenue primarily from selling advertising space and subscriptions. Large firms may operate as media conglomerates and publish or broadcast content across multiple platforms, including electronic media, magazines, television, or radio. Large firms may own multiple newspapers across the country; some operate internationally.
Competition for Ad Dollars
In the increasingly fragmented world of media, newspapers compete for advertising dollars with a variety of alternative sources, including TV, magazines, direct mail, radio, the Internet and billboards.
Long Decline for Traditional Print Business
The newspaper publishing industry has been in long-term decline, driven by the rise of the Internet and digital media.
Recent Developments
May 12, 2026 - Newsprint Supply Decreases
- A tight supply of newsprint is driving up prices, according to Editor and Publisher. Cost and supply challenges may lead more newspapers to reduce pages, cut print frequency, or accelerate plans to become entirely online products. The Seattle Times is reducing pages temporarily until supply improves, according to Editor and Publisher. NORPAC, one of two remaining newsprint mills in the US, produced its last roll of newsprint in April. It was acquired by International Paper and will prioritize packaging products. The last remaining US newsprint mill, Inland Empire Paper, is booked and can’t fill any additional orders until June or July, according to Stacey Cowles, president of mill owner the Cowles Company.
- Wall Street Journal owner News Corporation has signed a deal worth up to $50 million per year for technology giant Meta to use its content in its AI products. The agreement allows Meta to use copyrighted content from News Corp’s US and UK media properties for at least three years, according to the Wall Street Journal. Meta has made other licensing agreements with publishers as it builds out its artificial intelligence products, including deals with People Inc., USA Today, CNN, and Fox News, according to the Wall Street Journal.
- Traffic from Google Discover now exceeds traffic from Google Search for some publishers, according to social analytics platform Chartbeat. Traffic from social media has decreased by a third since January 2023, from 6% of all traffic then to 4% of all traffic now. Search traffic, still dominated by Google search, has remained relatively steady since January 2023. Google Discover — the Google product offering personalized content recommendations via Google’s mobile apps — is increasingly a top referrer, up 13% across Chartbeat clients since January 2023.
- Newspaper publishing industry employment and average wages for nonsupervisory employees increased slightly during the first two months of 2026, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Newspaper publishers decreased prices slightly during the first three months of 2026, according to the BLS.
Industry Revenue
Newspaper Publishers
Industry Structure
Industry size & Structure
The average newspaper publisher operates out of a single location, employs 26 workers, and generates about $6.7 million annually.
- The newspaper publishing industry consists of about 3,500 firms that employ about 89,400 workers and generate $23.2 billion annually.
- The industry is concentrated; the top 50 companies account for 78% of industry revenue.
- The industry includes national publications, market-level publications, and community newspapers.
- Large companies include News Corporation (Wall Street Journal, New York Post), Gannett (USA Today, Detroit Free Press), Advance Publications (Star Ledger, Cleveland Plain Dealer), McClatchy Company (Miami Herald, Sacramento Bee), and the New York Times.
- The top daily newspapers (based on circulation) include the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the New York Post.
Industry Forecast
Industry Forecast
Newspaper Publishers Industry Growth
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