The Death of Printed Media

The Death of Printed Media  

(PEW Research, 2012, para. 2)

What is “Print Media” and where did it begin?

It has been over thirty thousand years since the first recorded evidence of written communication (Piechota, 2013). Between now and then, platforms for written communication have developed considerably, greatly assisted by the advances in technology. With print media evolving from Johann Gutenberg’s printing press, to today's online and digital platforms of communication, it is evident that print media is becoming obsolete. In January 2012, Greg McFarlane describe printing as “a vehicle for the conveyance of information, which for several centuries was the most efficient way of doing so, and now it isn’t” (McFarlane, 2012, para. 11). According to Jolie O’Odell, online media and advertising grew 13.9% between 2009 and 2010 to reach a $25.8 billion total (O'Dell, 2011, para 7). This was the first time that printed media was overtaken by digital media.

What was once over flowing with used newspapers in a family home in Ipswich, is now a recycling basket.

So what is it that is making printed media obsolete? What are the key factors that are driving the success of digital media?

Key factors behind the death of printed media 

Television

Although not directly related to digital media, TV is still a key factor in the decline of printed media. TV was an early indication that print media was not going to live forever. In the 50’s and 60’s, many people would pick up the afternoon paper on their way home from work to read the day's events. However with the invention of television, this quickly became obsolete. Furthermore, television began to usurp much of the advertising revenue that newspapers had previously relied on.

Accessibility

Accessibility refers to firstly, the ability of an audience to comprehend a work. Accessibility also refers to the increased degree of usability for audiences.  The team at JISC Digital Media discussed accessibility in digital media earlier this year in their article titled “Basic Guide to Accessibility.” They made the valid point that having greater accessibility for users means that alternatives are being provided for people who can’t use or access the content in its original, printed form. This is a contributing factor as to why print media is becoming increasingly less popular. With news and media going digital, readers can access the content online from work, home and overseas from various devices.

Currency

Another advantage of digital media is the speed and currency which information can be delivered to consumers. In the age of printed media, when breaking news occurred, readers would have to wait to be informed of the details, until possibly the next day. However with the internet and handheld devices such as smart phones and tablets, news can be delivered almost instantaneously to readers. Furthermore, if facts need to be updated or edited through the day this is easily done. If it was printed in a newspaper or magazine, this would not be so simple.

Permanence and sharing capacity

Matthew Buckland discussed print media in his article in the Mail & Guardian titled “Online ‘permanence’”. He said “You read your paper, then it is used to wrap fish and chips, is thrown in the rubbish bin, or lives a lonely life of obscurity in some dusty library archive” (Buckland, 2006, para. 2). This statement couldn't be truer in today's society of recycling enthusiasts. The fact is once your newspaper is gone, it's gone. However, online news is stored and archived and can live a life in cyberspace, reaching people far beyond its original audience. With the assistance of social media and technology, news is shared and stored by millions of individuals around the world. It lives forever. 

(Forbes, 2012 and Indvik, L, 2010)

Audience Involvement 

Another benefit of moving media and news to online platforms is that it creates a stronger engagement between writers and readers. Swedish Digital Journalist Aske Kammer discussed this phenomenon in her article “Audience Participation in the Production of Online News.” She explained that “among journalism researchers and practitioners alike, widespread agreement exists that audience participation is one of the most important developments with digital journalism” (Kammer, 2013, para. 2). With the help of social media and email, communication between news providers and consumers has become almost conversation like. Audience involvement can be anything from actual audience input into news media itself, to subscriptions or a simple “letter to the editor” (or, rather “email to the editor.”)

Take the free MX newspaper as an example. One of the paper's largest sections is the section titled “Talk.” This section includes subsections including “Vent your spleen,” “Overheard,” “Here’s looking at you,” “Lost in love,” and “My platform.” All of these sections encourage reader participation through active involvement. Through a simple SMS, readers can find themselves staring in the following week's edition. Furthermore, the free paper has recently created an app for readers, so that, like many other media companies, their content may be accessed digitally.

Measurability

While it is possible to do a tally of the number of newspapers sold per day, with online media the numbers and tallying opportunities are endless. Especially while using social media, with the click of a button you can find out how many “likes”, “shares” and “comments” have been associated with any one article. With this kind of information available, media providers have the ability to gain statistics and information to assist in future marketing and advertising endeavours.

Multimedia 

Since news has made the transition to an online environment, it is evident that media providers and corporations are making the most of the resources available to them. Rob Winder has explained the importance of multimedia in his article “Media Helping Media,” published on the International Journalists’ Network website. Rob explained how “making the most of multimedia on the web involves thinking differently about how information is presented and where it is placed” (Winder, 2011, para. 1). It is not enough to simply upload some videos and some pretty pictures. When multimedia is relevant and is explaining information effectively, it is digital media's greatest resource.  

Profitability

Another reason as to why print media is declining, is that it is no longer the most profitable business model. Jeff Jarvis explained this back in 2008 in his article “The Print Media are Doomed”. Jeff discussed how digital media platforms have reduced the cumulative cost of production to almost nothing. The bottom line for print media companies is, they must adapt or die. This is a major component in the ultimate death of print media. Why would people pay for something that they can get online for free? 

Another reason why an online media environment proves more profitable is seen within the newsroom itself. Where The Seattle P.I had over 165 staff working in the newsroom, the online P.I. had just 20. Although many employees had to be unfortunately let go, the company is still running but having to pay much less in terms of staff wages. (Genealogy In Time, 2015)

Have your say

The interview heard below is with a long time reader of the Courier Mail, Kevin. For years Kevin bought the Courier Mail on a daily basis. However, since the evolution of the ipad and online news, the way he has begun consuming news has shifted to an almost completely digital platform.

When Kevin was interviewed, he explained how his favourite time of day has always been sitting down to his morning cup of tea and reading the news paper. It is evident that the culture of reading the morning paper is still alive, even if it does look a little different. 

But print does have its advantages

While the above points tend to put digital media at an advantage, this is not to say that print media is a bad form of media. Print media definitely has its advantages. For example, having a physical, printed piece of media has a great element of credibility and legitimacy. While online news pages can be covered in pop up ads and creates a constant fear of viruses for readers, a printed newspaper or magazine is concise and subtle in it’s advertising techniques. Furthermore, printed newspapers and magazines like The Courier Mail have a huge number of loyal followers. Making the transition to an online environment may cause many followers to discontinue their support. Furthermore, the brand is trustworthy and consistently reliable. Another positive of printed media is that it is often more engaging for consumers. An article on Forbes titled “Print is Dead? Not so Fast” explained that often online news articles are skimmed in as little as 15 seconds. While these factors are good, they are being out done by the many and varying advantages held by digital media platforms.

References 

Bradshaw, P. (2008). Ten Ways Journalism has Changed in the Last Ten Years. Retrieved from http://onlinejournalismblog.com/2008/03/06/ten-ways-journalism-has-changed-in-the-last-ten-years-bloggers-cut/.

Buckland, M. (2006). Online 'Permanence'. Retrieved from http://mg.co.za/article/2006-12-19-online-permanence

Forbes. (2012). The Currency of Digital Media. Retrieved from  http://www.forbes.com/sites/kenkrogue/2012/08/29/views-shares-comments-and-follows-the-new-currency-of-digital-media/.

Forbes. (2012) Print is Dead? Not so Fast. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/thesba/2012/06/28/print-is-dead-not-so-fast/.

Genealogy In Time. (2015) Why are Newspapers Dying? Retrieved from http://www.genealogyintime.com/GenealogyResources/Articles/why_are_newspapers_dying_page1.html.

Hooper, M. (2012). Who Says Print is Dead? Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/media/2012/jun/03/who-says-print-is-dead.

Indvik, L. (2010). Social Networks Dominate Online News Distribution [STATS]. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2010/10/07/cnn-news-study/.

Jarvis, J. (2008) The Print Media are Doomed. Retrieved from http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2008/12/the_print_media.html.

JICS Digital Media. (2015). Basic Guide to Accessibility. Retrieved from http://www.jiscdigitalmedia.ac.uk/guide/basic-guide-to-accessibility.

Kammer, A. (2013). Audience Participation in the Production of Online News. Retrieved from http://www.nordicom.gu.se/sites/default/files/kapitel-pdf/09_kammer_0.pdf.

McFarlane, G. (2012). Technology and the Death of Print Media. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/financial-edge/0112/technology-and-the-death-of-print-media.aspx.

O’Dell, J. (2011). For the First Time, More People Get News Online Than From Newspapers. Retrieved from http://mashable.com/2011/03/14/online-versus-newspaper-news/.

PEW Research (2012). Number of Americans Who Read Print Newspapers Continues Decline. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/daily-number/number-of-americans-who-read-print-newspapers-continues-decline/.

Piechota, I. (2013). Means of Human Communication Through Time. Retrieved from http://myweb.cwpost.liu.edu/paievoli/finals/505Sp_03/Prj1/irene_piechota.htm.

Storify. (2014). The Advantages and Disadvantaged of Online News. Retreieved from https://storify.com/nakednews/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-online-news.

Thomas, R. (2011). Top 10 Reasons the Newspaper is Dying. Retrieved from http://listverse.com/2011/07/03/top-10-reasons-the-newspaper-is-dying/.

Winder, R. (2011). Media Helping Media. Retrieved from http://ijnet.org/en/stories/maximizing-multimedia-online-news