Comments on: Report: Craigslist ’09 Revenue To Hit $100 Mill; But Is It Really A Newspaper Killer?

By: Reiki Online

Reiki Online — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:30:38 +0000

I think Mike and Norman have nailed it between them. These things rarely have a single reason for success or failure. That being said CL has without doubt been a major contributor to the newspaper ads decline. Of course the complete apparent inability of the newspapers to see their own downfall seems incredible. Maybe some of there head honchos should be looking at the help wanted ads?

By: Norman

Norman — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:05:07 +0000

Craigslist is part of the cause of the decline in newspapers. Certainly some advertising dollar have been diverted from traditional media to the online scene. The real issue for newspapers is how people update themselves and get information now versus 20 years ago. The world changed, and newspapers and traditional media did not keep up with the changes. This is ironic, as they were presumably reporting on the changes over the years, without figuring out and analyzing the impact it would have on their business!

By: poshlsitings

poshlsitings — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:05:41 +0000

I used to love craigslist but now I visit http://poshlistings.com

By: john clahoun

john clahoun — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:06:12 +0000

the comments seem lacking of real life experience.
everytime i bought an ad it cost well over 100 dollars
it was broadcast and not specific

Re newspapers
They felt as a monopoly that their views and opinions were everyones
opinion. They held themselves up as the regal deciders and shapers versus
just reporters
so as propagandaist always do they just screwed a generation
and suddenly a new technology left their manipulations in the dark.

By: Adam

Adam — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 21:53:32 +0000

Completely agree with @mike. The whole pie shrank. Advertisers, given a free alternative will undoubtedly choose free. They didn't have to transfer the money from newspapers to an online source, they simply didn't have to spend at all to get the same or better results. My only argument against faulting Craigslist for the downfall of newspaper classifieds is that if Craig Newmark, hadn't done it, somebody would have figured it out. It was inevitable.

By: Michael Simonsen

Michael Simonsen — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:07:42 +0000

>>That would mean that even if Craigslist went from $0 in 2008 revenue to $100 million in 2009 revenue on the strength of its paid job listings, it would only account for about 10 percent of the decline in newspaper help-wanted advertising during that period.<<

that is not at all true. CL shrunk the whole pie, it didn't just transfer dollars from newspapers to itself. CL charges $0 in 570 cities that newspapers used to charge $1B for. Even though CL made only $100mil, it (plus a few tinier vertical market alternatives, like trulia and adultfriendfinder) accounts for 100% of the decline in newspaper classifieds.

By: reiki

reiki — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 11:05:14 +0000

Personally, I truly agree that Craigslist is a newspaper killer. Why? Because companies or clients post job listing here than to pay ads in newspaper. The only problem is that some job listing here are scams.