More people worldwide reading papers than ever before, but money is the problem

More people in the world are reading newspapers than ever before, but research reported by TheMediaOnline shows that those papers haven't found a way to match audience growth with revenue, such as from digital platforms. An annual report from the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) says that more than half the world's adult population reads a newspaer; more than 2.5 billion are in print,  more than 600 million online, 500 million in both print and online and 100 million in digital form only

“The facts are hard to dismiss: newspapers are pervasive, they are part of the fabric of our societies. Our industry is stronger than many imagine,” said Larry Kilman, deputy CEO of WAN-IFRA, who presented the figures on Monday at the annual World Newspaper Congress and World Editors Forum, the global summit meetings of the world’s press.

The study found that global circulation has increased by 1.1% between 2010 and 2011.  It also found that digital readers of papers spend less time and visit fewer pages than do traditional print readers; this lack of "intensity" is reflected in revenues from advertising.