I got word last week that a publication we have worked with for many years is being “eliminated.” My thoughts went immediately to the journalists I worked so closely with over the years.
But after a few minutes, I began to wonder how this development could impact me as a PR professional. Is this just the first domino to fall? Is print media dying?
Of course, I’m not the first person to ask this question. A BusinessWeek article from nearly three years ago addressed the future of print media and countless discussions no doubt took place before that piece was published. Sites like Newspaper Death Watch have sprouted to cover the decline – and subsequent rise of – online media. And social media venues like Twitter have proven valuable for news dissemination.
So is print media really dying? I asked several respected editorial colleagues in the healthcare space the question and provide their opinions in this series.
Greg Gillespie, Editor-In-Chief, Health Data Management: Print media is most definitely not dead, and I’m not sure it’s even suffering any sort of death throes. What we’re seeing now is the separation of media as the Web is carves out its space in the spectrum. Print is a powerful medium if used correctly—and until recently we never had to really analyze what “print journalism” was, because it was the only game in town.
What does print bring to the table? An opportunity to create lengthy, in-depth stories on complex topics that will evolve over time. The health care reform bill and the HITECH incentive programs are cases in point: they are big, multi-faceted issues that need to be analyzed by various stakeholders. The ground beneath them is constantly shifting as new issues emerge and new federal guidance is issued. To understand and interpret them requires an audience to be aware of recent developments, but also take time to ponder the bigger issues and challenges.
That takes a combination of news, but some of that journalism does not translate well to the Web. I don’t often have the patience to scroll through a feature-length story online. I enjoy the tactile experience of reading a print magazine. And when I’m staring at my computer, I want to compile and digest information quickly. When I’m sitting on the couch, or kicking back from my office desk, I want some more meat on those news bones.
I think I’m a typical news consumer. I like to spend a few minutes scrolling through a local fishing discussion board, but I like to take 30 minutes leafing through my monthly edition of In-Fisherman magazine. I enjoy checking out the Smithsonian Museum’s Web site, but I spend serious time with my Smithsonian magazine.
Everyone has their personal mix of how they like to be informed. Print audiences are no less enthusiastic or engaged than they were 10 years ago. But people who enjoy reading print take advantage, like everyone else, of the information options available to them. The job of journalists is also to seek that balance and focus on playing to the strengths of the print, Web and multimedia connections to their audiences.
