Seeing slow ad growth, deliberate or not, Monster has formed an ad alliance with 19 local newspapers. The move comes just as that industry feels increasingly squeezed by an economic downturn and the industry. Monster first struck an ad alliance with the New York Times Co (NYSE: NYT). in February 2007 and a few months later rolled out a co-branded site with its Boston Globe Boston.com site last year as well. Since then, the newspaper ad alliance space has been filled by new entrants like the NYTCO-backed QuadrantOne and the more established Yahoo (NSDQ: YHOO) Newspaper Consortium, which is planning to unveil some additional targeting services in Q3.

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The papers who have helped form the ad network include The Columbus Dispatch, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, New Hampshire Union Leader, Rutland Herald/Times Argus (Vermont), and Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. Monster is also working on three co-branded sites with Home News Enterprises properties; four co-branded sites covering 11 Western News & Info properties; and a co-branded site with The Santa Fe New Mexican. Separately, Monster is also expanding its Career Ad Network to Canada. Release