Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1928-03-23
SOME 1NrEREsT1NG F1GuREs

erican Newspaper Annual and Di
rectory which made its appearance
short time ago. OF particular in
terest is the fact that numerically, a
least, weekly newspapers not onl,
continued to maintain tn e
strength during the past year bu
actually increased by AZ during tina
time. This was the largest gain re-
ported in any of the different groups
which comprise the 22,12S publica.
lions now issued in the nation END
which are included in the annual
survey.
Nearly half of the 22,12S publica-
lions listed in the directory are
weekly newspapers. A summary of
the publications included in the var
ious groups reveals 1888 dailies; 555
dailies with Sunday editions, IA tri-
weekly publications, IS tri-weekly
newspapers, SO semi-weekly publ
cations, 467 semi-weekly newspapers,
1857 weekly publications, 1880
weekly newspapers, 1873 fort-nightly
publications, 800 semi-monthly, 1887
monthly, 1856 bi-monthly, 46S quar-
terly, and 100 miscellaneous publi-
cations.
Weekly newspapers are now re-
ported to number 1880. Dailies to-
tai 1888, of which about $40 are list
ed as morning publications and
about 1890 as evening papers. Dur
ing the year there was an estimated
decrease of 60 papers in the daily
field.
County seat towns and cities hay
ing newspapers number 1858. which
represents a drop of IA compared to
a year previous. The number of
towns in which publications are
published is 1912.
Considering all types of publica-
tons, there was a loss of 70 during
the year, according to the 1928 di-
rectory. This is the difference he
tween the 1927 new established
and the 1929 journals
which were either merged or sus-
pended. In the newspaper field, in
Guiding dailies, tri-weeklies, semi
and weeklies, there were
365 suspensions and
$50 consultations.
In connection with the preceding
it is interesting to note
lsO certain statements made by Os-
valid Garrison Willard, editor of the
Jation, writing on "The Disappear
ng Daily" i'll a recent issue of the
Drum. Opening with the rhetori-
al question of "Is the American
ally to go the way of the Indian,
he bison and the horse-propelled Z
arr" Mr.. Willard continues with the
tatement that it is almost impos-
ble Ito take up copy of one of
lie newspaper mems trade journals l
ithout reading that another histor- II
paper has ceased publication or A
as been merged with some COM A
stitor or has been added to chain u
dailies in which it will more or "
SIS lose it's identity" CT
He then goes on to show that dur r
g the first seven months of 1927 "
tai of 81 daily newspapers sus- n
nded publication; the largest de- d;
ease in nine years in the same M
riod. He believes that if this rate a.
ere to continue for 20 years this ds
untry would have fewer than 1000 tr
lilies for a population which might as
proximate 14O,0OO,OOO, but he ad- -,
is that this is a remote POSSIBLE 81
and says that "The newspaper tn
is not likely to put on an
lpe just yet" MI
Alarming as Mr.. Wizards predic- on
n in regard to the dailies may be. ga
figures quoted from the Aver co
ectory are reassuring in that they ~!
icate that the weeklies, the "home
)ers" of the small communities of
country, are not only holding
II own but seem to be on the in
ase. Granted that these home
'ers" contributed their share (al-
ugh what that share was it not
-ed) to the S65 suspensions and 7
consultations, there were evil
thy enough new papers started to
re up for the small community fol
ers which suspended or were sbo
solidated and still show num- pri
al gain of 48.
he type of paper that susDends mr. gaC
consolidated is often one which wa,
well be spared anyway, because Cor
I'd insufficient justification for its urd
ollshment or because it failed to a. AZ
sure up to its opportunity. So war
suspensions and consultations T
continue during the era of resi-
'ral Shaking down" which the a Ian
ltry newspaper business is I'M nate
DING, but it is beneficial "shak- ing
down" Out of it is growing a ton ION
,-,S press winch is of e
Aeenly awe to its response vote
es to its community, to the me- resu
ty for better business methods I 6