Newspapers are still far from dead, but the language of the obituary is creeping in. The industry has been in declining health for some time now. It got sicker rather than better in 2007, and 2008 offers no prospect of a quick cure.

After a decade of high hopes, there are increasing concerns about the Web’s ability to meet the news industry’s financial challenges.

After a tumultuous 2006 with shakeups among anchor and executives, 2007 marked a return to more stability for network news.

Cable television news showed further signs of maturity in 2007. After a year of losses, the medium regained viewers, especially at prime time, though the roster of winners is changing.

The change signaled by the biggest news magazines as they headed into 2007 has begun, but it will require more time to judge whether it represents genuine change or just a pause along the way of decline.

The one constant in trying to understand the ethnic media in the United States is that its audience is in perpetual transition. New immigrants are arriving, sometimes moving to new communities. Existing audiences may or may not remain loyal, depending on the medium, the competition and the ethnicity.

News remains an important part of what was once simply called radio. In many ways, indeed, the tradition of listening to the news — aural transmission is the original way people got news — is among the most enduring.