The American Medical Assn. has ceased publication of its 215,000-circulation American Medical News tabloid newspaper, citing a drop in ad revenues and failure of an online version to bring in sufficient revenues.
The original frequency of 48 issues a year was cut to 24 in 2009. Last issue is dated Sept. 9. Page count, which was as high as 100, dropped to 24 in recent years.
Twenty full-time staffers are losing their jobs in Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New Jersey.
The web archive of AMN articles will remain at amednews.com through Dec. 31.
AMA publishing revenues fell 14.4% to $55.8 million in 2012. There was a $10 million drop in ad sales.
Pharmaceutical spending in all professional journal advertising dropped 31% to $322 million in 2011, according to IMS Health, market-analysis firm. Blamed are a shortage of new “blockbuster drugs” to replace a number of top-selling drugs that went off patent.
Editors prided themselves on not operating "a house organ" for the AMA. They noted that other staffers often asked them, "Whose side are you people on, anyway?"
"We go out as one of the five top primary care print publications," said a final statement by staffers.
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