A couple of weeks back, Media magazine had an interesting commentary on the state of print publishing. One excerpt:
Since 1996, with the dissemination of the new media that's supposed to kill print, the total number of magazines has grown 15 percent, and total magazine readership has grown by 9 percent. An accelerating growth: There were 12 percent more magazine launches in 2006 than in 2002.
This is a good reminder that the web is not about supplanting older media, but creating new avenues for content to find consumers. The article goes on to note research by Deloitte indicating: “71 percent of those ages 13 to 24 say they enjoy reading print magazines even though they could find most of the same information online.”
For PR practitioners, the data is a reminder that new media expertise is an important addition to our skill set. But it remains just one of the many communications vehicles in our working universe.
