• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
LeadershipWarren Buffett

Warren Buffett Thinks Only These Two Newspapers Are Certain to Survive

By
Joseph Hincks
Joseph Hincks
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Joseph Hincks
Joseph Hincks
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 28, 2017, 3:02 AM ET

Only two U.S. titles are certain to ride out the challenges besetting the newspaper industry: The Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. That’s according to the projections of Warren Buffett, whose company Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-A) owns 31 dailies.

In an interview with CNBC’s “Squawk Box” on Monday, Buffett said that the survival of the Journal and the Times was assured because they had “developed an online presence that people will pay for.” He added that the Washington Post “may do it” citing the paper’s improved performance under the stewardship of Amazon (AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos.

“If you look, there are 1,300 daily newspapers left in the United States,” said Buffett. “There were 1,700 or 1,800 not too long ago.”

He continued: “Now, you’ve got the Internet. Aside from the ones I mentioned, 1,400 or 1,300 of them haven’t figured out a way to make the digital model complement the print model.”

For more on Warren Buffett, watch Fortune’s video:

Online adaptation and advertising migrating to digital platforms are not the only challenges facing traditional media. President Trump has repeatedly bashed news organizations that criticize him, he tagged the New York Times, CNN and others with the epithet “failing,” cried “FAKE News” as his advisors relay “alternative facts,” and barred several outlets from a White House briefing on Friday.

His approach, however puerile, may be paying off. Citing a recent poll by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, Fortune‘s Mathew Ingram reports that critical coverage of the Trump administration’s flaws could be creating more mistrust of the media rather than more mistrust of Trump.

About the Author
By Joseph Hincks
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

chat
CybersecurityChatGPT
What if I told you the ‘AI slop’ debate was over 100 years old? It used to be about ‘ghostwriting’
By Emily Hodgson Anderson and The ConversationMarch 27, 2026
10 minutes ago
krueger
CommentarySafety
Rogue AI is already here
By David KruegerMarch 27, 2026
20 minutes ago
NewslettersCEO Daily
Chubb’s CEO 25-page shareholder letter touches on China, AI, and the fragility of democracy: ‘I am both optimistic and I’m concerned’
By Diane BradyMarch 27, 2026
1 hour ago
Photo of Bob Jordan
SuccessProductivity
Meetings are not work, says Southwest Airlines CEO—and he’s taking action by blocking his calendar every afternoon from Wednesday to Friday 
By Preston ForeMarch 27, 2026
2 hours ago
SuccessMelinda French Gates
Melinda French Gates has a rule for conflict at work: Wait 48 hours before saying anything
By Sydney LakeMarch 27, 2026
4 hours ago
Jessica Thompson poses outside her home.
Future of Workgender issues
Today’s Equal Pay Day. Women and men still disagree about who has more economic opportunities
By Jacqueline MunisMarch 26, 2026
15 hours ago

Most Popular

C-Suite
'I didn’t want anybody shooting me': Five Guys CEO gave away $1.5 million bonus to employees over botched BOGO burger birthday celebration
By Fortune EditorsMarch 25, 2026
2 days ago
Environment
Vail Resorts CEO says it’s time to think beyond the $1,000 ski pass that helped build the empire
By Fortune EditorsMarch 26, 2026
1 day ago
Success
Palantir’s billionaire CEO says only two kinds of people will succeed in the AI era: trade workers — ‘or you’re neurodivergent’
By Fortune EditorsMarch 24, 2026
3 days ago
Commentary
The Treasury just declared the U.S. insolvent. The media missed it
By Fortune EditorsMarch 23, 2026
4 days ago
Economy
Social Security insolvency: How a six-figure cap to flatten benefits for the ultrawealthy could buy the program 7 critical years
By Fortune EditorsMarch 26, 2026
1 day ago
Personal Finance
Current price of gold as of March 25, 2026
By Fortune EditorsMarch 25, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.