SPECIALIZED
Niche newspapers represent one more model of newspapers. These publications, which reach out to a specific target group, are rising in popularity in the era of the Internet.
As Robert Courtemanche, a certified journalism educator writes: "In the past, newspapers tried to be everything to every reader to gain circulation. That outdated concept does not work on the Internet, where readers expect expert, niche content."
NICHE MARKET
Ethnic and minority papers are some of the most common forms of niche newspapers. In the United States, particularly in large cities such as New York, niche papers for numerous ethnic communities flourish.
Some common types of U.S. niche papers are those that cater to a specific ethnic or cultural group or to a group that speaks a particular language.
Papers that cover issues affecting lesbians, gay men, and bisexual individuals, like the Advocate, and religion-oriented publications like The Christian Science Monitor are also examples of niche papers.
UNDERGROUND PRESS
Popularized in the 1960s and 1970s as individuals sought to publish articles documenting their perception of social tensions and inequalities, the underground press typically caters to alternative and counter-cultural groups.
Most of these papers are published on small budgets. Perhaps the most famous US underground paper is New York’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Village Voice.
This newspaper was founded in 1955 and introduced free-form, high-spirited and passionate journalism into the public discourse.
ALTERNATIVES
Despite their at-times shoestring budgets, underground papers serve an important role in the media. By offering an alternative perspective to stories and by reaching out to niche groups through their writing, underground-press newspapers fill a unique need within the larger media marketplace.
As journalism has evolved over the years, newspapers have adapted to serve the changing demands of readers.
DEVELOPMENT
Location, readership, political climate, and competition all contribute to rapid transformations in journalistic models and writing styles.
Since the invention of radio, newspapers have worried about their future. Even though readership has been declining since the 1950s, the explosion of the Internet and the resulting accessibility of online news has led to an unprecedented drop in subscriptions since the beginning of the 21st century.
DEVELOPMENT
Location, readership, political climate, and competition all contribute to rapid transformations in journalistic models and writing styles.
Over time, however, certain styles—such as sensationalism— have faded or become linked with less serious publications, like tabloids, while others have developed to become prevalent in modern-day reporting. Over the course of its long and complex history, the newspaper has undergone many transformations.
DECLINE
Since the invention of radio, newspapers have worried about their future. Even though readership has been declining since the 1950s, the explosion of the Internet and the resulting accessibility of online news has led to an unprecedented drop in subscriptions since the beginning of the 21st century.
Also hit hard by struggling economies and reluctant advertisers, most newspapers have had to cut costs. Some have closed up, while others have reinvented their style to appeal to new audiences
