Newspaper ad sales continue their long, sad decline, down 7.4 percent in the third quarter. The shift to online is not going to save the industry. (And neither is the Kindle).

While online ads keep growing at a healthy clip, up 21 percent to $773 million industrywide, it is not enough to make up for the decline in print ads. Print ads in the third quarter were $10.1 billion. That is $1 billion less than they were in the same quarter last year. Meanwhile, online newspaper ad sales rose only by $135 million. After six straight quarters of decline, print ad sales are at 1997 levels—lower if you adjust for inflation.

(Photo via Appleheartz. Chart via Reflections of a Newsosaur)