Newspaper ad spending during the second quarter of 2002 fell 1.8 percent to $10.9 billion compared with the same period last year, according to the Newspaper Association of America.
Retail ad spending in newspapers decreased 0.1 percent in the second quarter to $5.25 billion compared with the same period last year, according to a report published yesterday by the organization. Also, national ad spending for the quarter dropped 1.7 percent to $1.8 billion, the NAA said.
Second-quarter comparisons also revealed that classified ad spending dipped 4.1 percent to $3.8 billion, mainly from a severe drop in help wanted ads, according to the report.
The report's lone bright spots were automotive classifieds and real estate classified ad spending. Automotive for the second quarter reportedly rose 6.3 percent to $1.2 billion. Also, real estate reportedly was up 6 percent to $829 million.
Help wanted ad spending for the quarter, however, dropped 20.9 percent to $1.1 billion compared with second-quarter 2001. Spending on all other classifieds, excluding automotive, real estate and help wanted, rose 2.7 percent for second-quarter 2002 to $669 million, according to the NAA.
Meanwhile, retail ad spending for the first half of 2002 was down 0.5 percent to $9.8 billion compared with the first half of 2001, the NAA said. National ad spending for the first half of 2002 decreased 2.6 percent to $3.5 billion, and classified ad spending for the first half of 2002 fell 8.9 percent to $7.3 billion.
Total ad spending in newspapers for the first six months of 2002 was $20.6 billion, down 4 percent from the same period last year, the NAA reported.
Also for the first half of 2002, automotive classified ad spending grew 5.5 percent to $2.3 billion, real estate classified ad spending increased 4.5 percent to $1.6 billion and help wanted classified ad spending was down 30.4 percent to $2.2 billion. All other classified ad spending in the first half of 2002, excluding automotive, real estate and help wanted, gained 4.4 percent over the same period in 2001 to $1.2 billion, the NAA reported.
The NAA, Vienna, VA, is a nonprofit representing 2,000 newspapers in the United States and Canada. It claims its membership accounts for 87 percent of daily U.S. newspaper circulation.
