Why Didn't Obama's Run Help Chicago Newspapers?

Why Didn't Obama's Run Help Chicago Newspapers?

Barack Obama's resounding victory led to a run on newspapers around the country, but especially in Chicago, where giddy readers scrambled to grab keepsake copies of Nov. 5 issues commemorating the election of a native son and first African-American as president.

The Chicago Tribune boosted its press run nearly 30%, and the Chicago Sun-Times upped production 50%, and still papers were hard to find on newsstands around town. "Obama is a hometown boy, and the demand for today's edition has been incredible," said a Tribune spokesman.

But the post-election sales surge raises question about why the story of Mr. Obama's run failed to boost newspaper sales in his hometown.

During the six months ended this September, the Tribune saw its weekday circulation decline nearly 8%, to 516,032, while the Sun-Times fell by nearly 4% to 313,176.

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