No revenues? No news …

The New York Times printed two compelling numbers Tuesday that ought to have newspaper beancounters quivering in fear:

14,626,000 — the number of unique visitors to classified advertising web sites in September 2004

26,349,000 — the number of unique visitors to classified advertising web sites in September 2005

That’s an 80 percent increase in the use of online classified ad services. Craigslist.org use increased 165 percent, according to The Times. Classified advertising — small text ads that seek or offer goods or services — is important to newspaper companies because it provides a significant source of revenue, as does display advertising. The two numbers proferred by The Times suggest that the number of people looking to buy or sell goods or services online is increasing at a dramatic rate.

That can’t be good for the newspaper industry. Without adequate and stable revenues, the industry’s ability to fulfill its public-service obligation under its grant of First Amendment protection would be compromised.

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