The outgoing CEO of The New York Times said his newspaper could stop its print edition in two decades.
During a interview Monday with CNBC, Mark Thompson said the media landscape is changing at a rapid rate.
"I believe the Times will definitely be printed for another 10 years and quite possibly another 15 years — maybe even slightly more than that," Thompson said. "I would be very surprised if it's printed in 20 years' time."
News is largely consumed online these days, and many newspapers already have stopped printing. Thompson pointed out that the Times' print advertising is down more than 50% this year, due in large part to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He's not confident that the numbers will return to their pre-pandemic levels.
"I'm skeptical about whether it will recover to where it was during 2019 levels," he said. "It was already in year-over-year decline for many years. I think that decline is probably inexorable."
Thompson is leaving the paper next month and will be replaced by Meredith Kopit Levien, currently the chief operating officer of the Times.
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