Thanks to the advances in Technology, we see people using the Web
for all kinds of reasons, primarily for getting entertained and
informed. This obviously affects magazines and newspapers that
depend on circulation numbers to survive. Recently it has been
reported that many newspapers and magazines find it difficult to
sustain their profits as the expenses to maintain their
publication are relatively high. It is rather difficult to
sustain existing personnel and continue paying bills when
circulation numbers fall. So what are they doing about it?
Basically, the leading magazines and newspapers have made their
moves long ago; it is only logical to follow technological
advances and be there first. Making the move to the Web is
unavoidable: people are looking for the digital equivalent of
their favorite printed media in larger numbers. You have to be
there to survive, otherwise you will lose your readers, it is
that simple. Nowadays people go to the web and pickup newspaper
Web sites as their favorite page for their browser; they load RSS
feeds with the latest news on their blackberry and other mobile
phones. They get the news instantly, as it happens. For free. In
the most ecological friendly manner. No waste of paper, no delay
for the next days or weeks issue.
Is this worrying for printed media? For those that have not
joined the ride yet it is. They must change their business and
launch their electronic identical quickly, otherwise it will be
over soon. Will they make money? It is a calculated science; with
less to spend on ink and paper, and the low costs of maintaining
their electronic equivalent, plus all those online advertising
platforms that exist, it should be a struggle but there is
opportunity.
What about the end consumer? People still use both printed and
electronic media, but as technology gets perfected, they will be
migrating from the former to the latter in increasingly larger
numbers. The market responds slowly with some test devices like
book readers (Amazon and Sony have made advances there), but
there is still no such device to allow a friendly reading of an
electronic newspaper or magazine in all public places. When this
brick falls into place and such technology becomes widespread,
their will be little reason to buy paper issues as a consumer,
and practically no reason to stay in conventional printing
methods as a publisher.
Kostandinos Papahatzis: Is responsible for reviewing magazines and newspapers; my latest work was on Economist Magazine. I also have
a related website for reviews for those who wish to purchase an
Economist subscription. http://www.economistmagazine-reviews.info/.