Subscription surges and record audiences follow Trump’s election

When CBS Chairman Les Moonves said that the Donald Trump phenomenon “may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS,” he likely didn’t imagine his comment would apply to the entire news industry come December. While many in the media have expressed concerns over the impact a Trump Administration could have on press freedoms, the president-elect’s influence already is boosting news organizations’ bottom lines.

The New York Times said it signed up 10,000 new subscribers per day several times since the election, and the past few weeks recorded a 10-fold increase in new subscriptions over the same period last year. “Often after an election you expect a lull,” Times president and CEO Mark Thompson said recently. “We’re not seeing that, we’re seeing a surge.”