Reframing the Story: The Status of Newspaper Media in Nebraska

There is a common perception that newspaper media is struggling. We know. Newspapers tend to be the ones reporting on it. 

Part of the challenge the industry faces is its own making because we keep looking back at what newspapers used to be. We long for the days of 80% weekly PRINT market penetration and being the only game in town. But the truth is, the world has changed — not just for newspapers. 

It used to be that media meant newspapers, television, and radio. Today, if you ask someone to list the various mediums, the list grows ever more expansive, incorporating not just traditional news media but also social media, blogs, podcasts, vlogs, video shorts, and now even AI-driven content. 

In short, the media market has more players and is much more fragmented.

Newspaper media organizations need to stop focusing on yesteryear. Instead, it’s time to reframe our perspective given this new market. And when we do that—when we truly analyze where newspaper media in Nebraska stands in comparison to all other media—we find that Nebraska newspapers are in a strong position in a fragmented market. 

The Reach and Impact of Newspaper Media in Nebraska

Consider the following data:

• Print & Replica (E-edition) Readership: 660,000 weekly readers, with about a third being e-edition subscribers. (Source: 2024 Statements of Ownership)
• Newspaper Website Readership: 1.435 million monthly unique visitors, translating to a weekly audience of 331,130. (Source: 2024 Similarweb, Sept–Nov avg.)
• Total Weekly Newspaper Media Readership: 991,000+ and growing—more than 50% weekly market share between newspaper print and websites. And that’s not even counting newspaper social media channels.
• Monthly Newspaper Media Reach: 70-80% of Americans engage with newspaper media (print, digital, social) monthly (America’s Newspapers report). 

Readership Trends in 2024

While overall print/digital replica readership in Nebraska declined by 10%, there are promising signs of growth:

• More than a third of Nebraska newspapers saw print and digital subscriber growth of 5% and more. 
• Nebraska metros saw the biggest drops (21% decrease in print/replica subscribers), but they also have the largest digital audiences and growth in digital replica subscribers. They also have more news competition than community markets. 
• On a weekly basis, newspaper media (both print and digital) are reaching half of Nebraskans—and that’s not even including newspaper social media channels, e-newsletters, or other forms of engagement. 

That’s a remarkable achievement in today’s fragmented media landscape.

Newspapers as a Pillar of Community Well-Being

Beyond audience numbers, we need to recognize the deeper role newspapers play in their communities. The data is clear: communities with newspapers tend to have lower taxes, less government corruption, better-performing schools, and healthier communities.

Subscribing to a newspaper—whether in print or digital—isn’t just about staying informed. It’s an investment in the well-being of your community. 

Likewise, when advertisers use the diverse marketing options that newspaper media provides, they are not only running effective, brand-safe, and trusted campaigns—they are making a positive impact on their local economy.

The Outsized Role of Newspapers in the News Ecosystem

Why do newspaper make such a difference to their communities? 

Newspapers don’t just serve their readers—they serve the entire news ecosystem. While they make up only 25% of the media landscape, they account for 50% of all original reporting. That means when a newspaper closes, all other forms of media — including other legacy outlets, digital and social media — lose one of their primary news sources.

Part of the reason for this is that newspaper media has been, and remains, one of the most trusted media sources, consistently ranking first or second across various studies. Readers turn to newspapers for credible, in-depth reporting, which is why newspapers continue to play such a critical role in shaping the news that other media outlets rely on.

Time to Reframe the Narrative

Newspaper media needs to reframe how it tells its story – to stop defining themselves by what they used to be and start owning the role they still play today. Newspapers must stop looking backward and instead build for the future—based on changing audience needs and evolving media habits.

It’s time to rebrand newspaper media—not as a struggling industry, but as an indispensable, evolving, and still dominant player in Nebraska’s media landscape.