Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Rick's Weekly Wrap-up: Why Print Still Matters


It's not all doom and gloom for print media, although most would like to believe that. After reading the following article on MediaPost.com (alright, you caught me, I read it online, not in print, but let's ignore that for now, shall we?) I was reminded again of the rapid changes taking place with traditional print media. Take a read:

The article reports on the declines that newspapers and magazines are experiencing in circulation and ad revenues.
 

The future, in general, does not look bright for either medium.

Now, with that being said, let's talk a closer look.

A key fact not addressed in the article is that the declines are primarily limited to major titles with large circulation that try to be all things to all people.  Most of these titles are seeing erosion from either their own internet sites or comparable sites that report on similar information, but do it in a timelier manner. Community newspapers that report on local events, schools and community happening are not experiencing the same downturn.  They serve a niche that the large metro dailies have long since abandoned.  Similarly, special interest magazines that serve highly targeted interests have also been able to avoid the downturn.  Both may have seen a downturn as the result of the economy, however they should be able to rebound with the recovery, unlike their larger counterparts.

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