Tabloid Newspapers 2

In the 1600s, newspapers were pamphlets about the size of modern-day
paperback books. But in England by the early 1700s, newspapers began
to be taxed by their number of pages. To reduce taxes, publishers
printed bigger pages and fewer of them, helping to create the
broadsheet that until now has been considered standard.

Now papers are getting smaller again. ‘Compact’ sizes have caught on in Europe but in the US, reports the New York Times, American publishers have
been balking because advertisers are not convinced they can get the
same impact from ‘tabloids’ as they can from broadsheets.

PSFK reported last October how the UK Times and Independent have switched to a tabloid format to much success in terms of readership growth. In the US
broadsheets are in a period of decline, with weakening circulation and
little growth in advertising as they compete with a growing number of
outlets – including free metro tabloids – for consumer attention and
advertising dollars. With a nervous eye on long-term survival,
newspaper executives are increasingly considering shrinking their
formats and hoping that less will prove to be more.

New York Times Article

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Tabloid Newspapers