Digital media the end of the print newspaper?
Christian Science Monitor announced this week that come 2009, they will switch from a print edition enhanced with an online presence, to a mostly digital format. They plan to offer daily and weekly email editions as well as an enhanced weekly publication, featuring the best of the news of the week as well as photos and special sections.
The 100 year old publication has realized that the transition to the new formats and editions is the way of the future. Print newspapers are struggling to maintain their foothold, and if they don’t embrace the digital age, their futures are bleak.
The cost, delay, and waste generated by daily print are huge hindrances, said Yemma. The Monitor can lead the way in providing news primarily online.
“The Christian Science Monitor finds itself uniquely positioned to take advantage of developing technologies, market conditions, and news consumption habits that can dramatically increase its relevance, reach, and utility; place it on a sound financial footing; and allow it to pursue its unique mission of providing global perspective and illuminating the human dimension behind international news,” Yemma noted.
Digital media and news has changed the landscape of our information and technology. It’s only a matter of time before everything we need to know is delievered to our inboxes instead of our mailboxes.
Article Tags: Christian Science Monitor | Digital Media | future | newspapers
Filed under: Digital Media, Education, News article, Technology, eMail
It’s starting. But as I discussed in “Can Digital New Media Save the Democracy?” (http://digitalpivot.com/2008/08/can-digital-new-media-preserve-the-democracy/) — formats will be the issue. Simply put, surveys show people average just minutes with an online publication versus an hour or better with traditional print publications.
Even more troubling, the major advertisers who’ve long been the sustenance to newspapers and magazines have largely stayed away from the digital versions.
So while I salute the Monitor for its move, I believe it will find digital publishing won’t truly replace traditional newspapers until 1) hand held devices that improve on Sony’s Reader and Amazon’s Kindle appear, and 2) a web specific business model is developed and widely adopted.