In January 2023, the alt-weekly City Pulse covered the declining circulation and advertising revenue faced by the Lansing State Journal. A Gannett-owned publication, the Lansing State Journal’s business model is shifting to produce more digitally-oriented content and shift away from print.
Their circulation, which has been declining since 2005, fell 16.1% in the last year, according to City Pulse. This is not an isolated incident either – Gannett was behind two of the 12 Lansing weeklies that closed in spring 2022.
The article quotes Erica Beshears Perel, director of the Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media, who explained the strain being placed on papers like the Lansing State Journal. It’s difficult to balance limited resources with sustaining a print product and an expanding digital landscape.
The news isn’t all bad, Perel points out. New digital mediums mean new ways for diverse voices to infiltrate the industry.
Read the entire article on City Pulse.