2009 is already seeing a lot of change, and not surprisingly (or maybe so?) the axe is beginning to fall (a little too often) on print publications that had previously been considered successful. Back in November The New York Observer discussed the possibility of Domino folding, but today that rumor was met with reality as both WWD and The San Francisco Chronicle confirm that Domino has officially folded. It appears no one is safe in this economy regardless of success because when it comes down to it--it's all about relevancy and numbers.
While I realize that magazines and newspapers want to blame the economy and decrease in ad revenue for the folding of so many print publications...and yes that has a lot to do with it...I definitely think the digital age plays a very big role in this. The internet has made us virtually connected on a 24/7 basis; they call it a "Crackberry" for a reason. How many times has someone mentioned an article they just read and you automatically tried to find it online? We want everything in real time and it is impossible for print publications who work on a 3-4 month lead time to keep up with the constant need for information NOW--by the time it comes out in your monthly issue, it is old news. My RSS reader is overflowing while my physical mailbox is feeling pretty lonely these days, could this be something you can relate to?
My question is this though--why fold a publication altogether? Why not transition it to digital? It's said that Domino had 1 million subscribers, bringing the publication online-- not just being able to "flip through a few pages" as the website currently recommends, would be logical. I would love to see a staple publication do this...and if they succeed, they would be a great case study.
So which publication is next? Will the axe continue to fall or will one stand out and be brave enough to try something radically different for their industry? I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
Posted by Shannon Nelson on January 28, 2009 7:54 AM
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Comments (5)
I would love to see magazines on the edge consider moving online. I know that my magazines sit unread in a pile while I sit here on my computer.
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Jodi |
January 28, 2009 4:50 PM
Posted on January 28, 2009 16:50
Switching to electronic media would make sense, but I wonder if print magazines perhaps lack the knowledge and new media savvy to really make a try at it. It seems like so many print magazines are so far behind the times when it comes to new media. Certainly some are up on it, but many others have hardly any online presence at all.
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Carleenp |
January 28, 2009 5:03 PM
Posted on January 28, 2009 17:03
I actually think that a lot of the city newspapers will be cutting back on staff, especially the smaller ones like Tampa. To be honest though, I've always hated the paper and preferred to read my news online. I enjoy very few magazines and don't even keep a subscription to anything anymore. I think transitioning to digital is what needs to be done.
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Phyrra |
January 28, 2009 5:34 PM
Posted on January 28, 2009 17:34
I think that moving a publication to online only should def be a step before shuttering completely. I know there are several pubs (ie PC World, Christian Science Monitor, multiple newspapers) that have moved to online only. I can't say how it has affected their subscription base at this point, but I truly can't see how it could hurt to at least give digital a go before calling it quits. They may even find a better base of viewers/readers by being able to post more rapidly than the 3-4mo lead.
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Paula Wade |
January 28, 2009 5:39 PM
Posted on January 28, 2009 17:39
There will always be a place for print media but it has pretty much been replaced. Magazines are a bit like horse and carriages in the automobile age. They'll hang around for a little while but in a few years, almost no print magazines will exist.
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Left Brain |
January 29, 2009 2:32 AM
Posted on January 29, 2009 02:32