Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Don't Eulogize Print

I was in print journalism for 8 years before seeing the future and moving primarily to an internet publication 12 years (yikes!) ago. But during my freelancing career of the last 7 years, print as paid more of my bills than the writing for the web, so it clearly ain't dead yet.

So while I believe that the web will continue to dominate as the most influential contributor to current events, magazines have and will always have their place. I wouldn't want to be like the folks at the new mag Dispatches and try build a business in print, though. Getting launched is much tougher in the current economy.

I disagree with Mashable's Stan Schroeder however, on this point.

The printed magazine, content-wise, is just like a web page taken offline: nothing more, nothing less.

Popular print titles like Time and People (ick) will continue to kill trees into the future because the experience of reading a magazine will always be different and preferable for a certain percentage of readers. It's easier to transport, and sometimes it just feels good to be offline and rustle the pages between your fingers.

Magazine style reporting can be more in depth, and something about the experience lets the reader savor the words and reread them if necessary. It is a slower process, and there's something to be said for not jumping to a hyperlink in the middle of an essay or moving on to another website.

Schroeder's main criticism of print -- that articles are a dead end -- has some validity, but sidebars with links that readers can go to later or with content that provides supporting or related information can fill that gap. Magazines are a different beast, but don't throw dirt on their collective coffin just yet.

Posted By John Gartner at 09:41 AM
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