The
Detroit Free Press and
The Detroit News have seen substantial online readership increases since dropping home print delivery to three times a week. But ad revenues are still decreasing, and the papers are laying off employees as a result.
For April, the
Free Press saw unique visitors increase by 74% year-over-year to 1.5 million. Unique visitors at
The Detroit News were up 32% over the prior year to 1 million, according to Nielsen statistics
reported by
Editor & Publisher. The newspapers have kept more readers and subscribers than expected, according to an Associated Press
reporton The Huffington Post.
Yet the increased online viewership has not offset reduced advertising revenue. The partnership
announced May 21 that it will lay off up to 150 employees, including 25 in the
Free Press newsroom.