US newspapers continuing to die at rate of 2 each week

By DAVID BAUDER
AP Media Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Despite a growing recognition of the newspaper industry’s problems among politicians and philanthropists, a new report says a downward trend continues. A report from Northwestern University says local newspapers in the United States are dying at the rate of two per week. There has been growth in digital alternatives, but not nearly enough to compensate for what has been lost. Northwestern says the number of counties with no newspapers or only one outlet continues to expand, and the underserved areas tend to have residents who are poorer, older and less-educated than those covered well, Many digital-only sites are clustered in or near big cities, since that’s where the money is to fund them.