Smaller-market publishers show less confidence

A little late discovering this, but a survey released at the end of October by Cribb Greene & Associates found dropping numbers among mid- and small-market newspaper execs when it comes to their papers' expected financial performance.

The survey still found that of the 239 executives surveyed, 51 percent think advertising revenue will be up in the coming year. But that's down from 71 percent in the spring survey.

And then there was this:

Respondents were less optimistic in answering the question "Would you recommend the newspaper business as a career for your children?" This litmus test question last spring produced 39% "yes" responses, which has decreased to 31% in the current Survey.

The site has a link to a more complete PDF of the survey. A pullout box on the right side of the post with participants' comments is also worth reading.