The Death of Print?
Posted by: Kayla Martin in General on November 6th, 2007Ever since the first Dot-Com-Era, cynical speculators have been forecasting the bleak future of traditional print media.
Back then I scoffed at that idea, the internet was still a novelty, and the diversity of online new sources was lacking (to say the least).
But over the past few years, I find myself increasingly getting my news online, whether it be from the citizen journalism of blogs or the online entity of the local newspaper. And, I know I am not the only one.
This is an excerpt from a New York Times article about the shift from traditional to online news:
The circulation declines of American newspapers continued over the spring and summer, as sales across the industry fell almost 3 percent compared with the year before, according to figures released yesterday.
The drop, reported by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, reflects the growing shift of readers to the Internet, where newspaper readership has climbed, and also a strategy by many major papers to shed unprofitable or marginally profitable print circulation.
Over at TechCrunch they are examining the decline in relation to global region and marketing:
The decline of print media isn’t an international story, it’s one that’s very much focused on the United States, and to a lesser extent the English speaking world. The problem today with print media in the United States is that it has yet to have undergone a massive market restructuring that has occurred in other countries.
And What They Think looks at the shift from traditional to digital media and compares it to the evolution of print services.
It seems to me that the future of print is indeed uncertain, and we should all be prepared to adapt and evolve… or maybe I am just another cynical speculator.
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November 6th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
Interesting politically correct take. Their simple reasoning is not explained in the markets that are a wash or slightly increased (LA Times, Philly, etc..). A significant other factor to their decline, that will never be measured or admitted to, is their generally left-wing bias that causes them to distribute propaganda in a controlled environment instead of news. The internet exposed this, offered an open alternative - and the rest is history….
November 6th, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Print may decline, but there will always be a need for printed material. There is something special about holding a newspaper, magazine, or book and just relaxing while you read. Obviously you would be able to do this on a computer monitor, but it is not the same.
November 6th, 2007 at 2:38 pm
The information monopoly previously owned by newspapers and the alphabet networks may have been killed by the internet and as a result their biased opinionated reporting exposed. It would seem that circulation in those products would suffer as a result. Their pain is an indirect effect of technology in that technology reduced the barrier for entry into publishing.
On the other hand, print is certainly in competition with digital media for marketing dollars and eyeballs. As people get connected anytime, anywhere, with lowering costs for wireless networks and mobile devices, the constant availability of digital media becomes increasingly compelling for both the information publisher and information consumer.
November 6th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Dan, you beat me to the punch. I guess I am a little slow on the trigger.
November 6th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
I would suggest that viewing how younger generations collect information is a good indicator into the future of print. Most youths are far more likely to search for references through Google than in their local library. They communicate regularly through cell phone text messages and web blogs. Even their school books are beginning to be provided online. Unfortunately, many are even using ridiculous fake news sitcoms as a source for information. Surely newspapers, magazines, books, and printed mail will not be a convincing medium to communicate with the upcoming digital generations.
November 6th, 2007 at 3:21 pm
I’m guessing a generation gap between RMS and Quickdraw. Nothing quite like reading a newspaper in the library. ; )
November 6th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
RMS - I completely agree with you about “holding” what you are reading, especially when it comes to books. But when it comes to newspapers, I would much rather jump online and read the articles I am interested in, rather than flipping through the whole paper for those few select articles.
Quickdraw - You pretty much hit the nail on the head, and I think over the next decade we will see marketing and media trends shift more and more to cater towards Gen Y (or the Internet Generation)
November 8th, 2007 at 1:53 am
In some areas print will decline, as communication models are changing. So the future of print, as we know it, is indeed true. The print industry starts to understand that it needs to embrace new technology in order to participate in those new models. So print has a whole new future in personalised communication.