On March 15th, it was reported that traditional newspapers in Italy have faced a significant decline in sales over the past two decades, largely due to the disruptive impact of new media based on internet technologies. This decline has plunged print media into an unprecedented low.
An institution in Italy has stated that newspaper sales at newsstands have plummeted by approximately 90% over the past 20 years, leading to the closure of two-thirds of these newsstands. Currently, only around 12,000 newsstands remain barely operational.
It is well known that among the three major traditional media—newspapers, television, and magazines—newspapers were once widely disseminated and had a significant impact, serving as the mainstream channel for the general public to access information and current affairs.
In addition to their wide availability, newspapers were valued for their ease of preservation and rich content, making them the dominant media of the last century.
However, with the development of the internet, newspapers have inherently lacked interactivity and timeliness, gradually falling out of the public's view.
Do you still read newspapers?
