Italian and international experiences point to a possible path, provided transformation can overcome resistance within the supply chain
There is a precise moment when a neighbourhood changes face: when the shutter of the corner newsstand stays down for days. It is not just another business closing. It is an urban outpost disappearing, a piece of public space that stops producing relationships, information and everyday life. For years, this disappearance has been described as an inevitable destiny: digital advances, everything else retreats. But the data tell a different, more uncomfortable story.
Despite the growth of online media, print still economically supports the information system. According to the report “Le edicole del futuro, il futuro delle edicole”, produced by Stampa Romana and DataMediaHub, most newspaper revenues still come from physical copies.
In 2024, total revenues for Italian newspapers stood at €1.17 billion, down compared with 2019, with one key finding: digital is growing, but it does not compensate for the collapse of print. The system is not evolving; it is shrinking. This is where the paradox emerges: newsstands close because fewer newspapers are sold, but fewer newsstands mean fewer copies sold. A vicious circle that progressively wears down the system. The issue lies in demand, but also in the supply chain.
The report makes this clear: rules, resources and tools to modernise the system already exist, starting with the digitalisation of points of sale and the traceability of copies. This step would make it possible to drastically reduce the number of copies printed and distributed without being sold, generate significant savings and truly understand readers, including through tools such as loyalty cards. It is an operation grounded in realism, yet the system continues to postpone it.
So why is it not happening? As Stefano Ferrante, secretary of Stampa Romana, points out: “The rules and tools for digitalising and modernising the supply chain already exist. What has been lacking so far is the will to implement them, because the system remains blocked by arrangements that favour rent-seeking positions and distortions in distribution.” It is a system that benefits those who control the intermediate supply chain, not those who work behind the counter, nor those who produce information. Meanwhile, the burden of this inefficiency falls on newsagents: thirteen-hour working days for just over €1,000 gross per month.
In recent months, the issue has also returned to the centre of institutional debate. The Government has activated support measures and Parliament has begun examining a bill dedicated to the press sales network, explicitly recognising its public role.
“In the digital age, where human relationships too often tend to dissolve, newsstands represent a vital territorial outpost, as places of human and social aggregation,” explained rapporteur Filippo Melchiorre.
This is a significant recognition which, however, does not resolve the central issue: without reform of the supply chain and genuine modernisation of points of sale, the risk is that interventions remain emergency measures rather than transformative actions.
In Rome, the effects of the crisis are particularly marked. From around 1,200 active newsstands only a few years ago, the number has fallen to just over 400. As denounced by Yuri Trombetti, chair of Roma Capitale’s Heritage Commission, in the historic centre 54 kiosks out of 100 risk never reopening, also caught between the restrictions of the Superintendency and the rules of the Highway Code. At the same time, Claudio Marotta, chair of the Lazio Region Commission for the Supervision of Information Pluralism, points to the Bolkestein Directive: treating the press as generic commerce is a mistake, because newsagents work with fixed prices and minimal margins, while performing a public function that deserves specific protection.
And yet, all is not lost. One example is Santedicola, in Rome’s San Giovanni district, reopened after years of inactivity with a second life: from newsstand to neighbourhood cultural space.
In 25 square metres, the removal of the traditional counter has created a more fluid environment, capable of enhancing the octagonal shape of the kiosk and hosting, alongside newspapers and magazines, independent publications, books by small publishers and light cultural activities: readings, presentations, small workshops and photography exhibitions. A place conceived not only for passing through, but for staying.
Experiences of this kind are not isolated on the international scene. In several European cities, newsstands have gradually been recognised as urban cultural infrastructure, an integral part of public space and neighbourhood life.
In London, projects such as News & Coffee have brought disused urban kiosks back into use by integrating quality press with spaces for everyday social interaction. Located in King’s Cross, the newsstand has once again become a place to stop and meet, strengthening the public role of the kiosk in urban space. In Madrid, the historic KGB007 kiosk continues to be a cultural and information reference point for the neighbourhood, combining traditional press with a wide selection of DVDs and vinyl records. It is an urban outpost that maintains a strong social and orientation function, even in moments of emergency. In Lisbon, Quiosque das Amoreiras has reinforced its role by focusing on a broad and carefully curated editorial selection, combining local and international press. It is a newsstand that reaches different audiences without distorting its information function, enhancing the quality and variety of its offer. In Rio de Janeiro, meanwhile, Banca Cinza, launched in 2024 in the Botafogo district, has expanded the traditional newsstand model by combining newspapers and magazines with a selection of independent magazines and artistic publications. It is an experience that strengthens the cultural function of the kiosk without abandoning press distribution.
Cover image: © Adobe Stock
