What is the role of print media in the digital age?

Up until 1975, personal computers did not exist. The creation

of the first PC with colour graphics the Apple II in 1977, caused
the digital industry to explode. Almost 40 years after its creation,
technology has developed hugely and the role of print media has
seen a slow decline. This essay focuses on whether print media is
still needed in the current age and, if so, why print should not be
replaced by digital methods? By discussing the advancements in
technology, the significance of target audiences, the corruption
related to newspapers and the need for printed articles in the
digital age it will be argued that print media needs to exist and be
used effectively alongside digital methods. It is important to answer
this question in order to consider the future of print and the
negative response associated with an age that is becoming
increasingly dependent on digital solutions.
The advancements of technology in the digital age have
provided new opportunities and efficiencies that print media could
never offer. Meredith Davis discusses her views on this, and how
the print industry has been affected as a result, in the text of
Graphic Design Theory. The text is very reflective of the
development of the digital era; whilst including her own opinions
on matters, Davis also manages to keep a well-balanced, consistent
judgment throughout. Whilst print can be used in a variety of ways,
it does have its limitations; technology is constantly evolving and
offering new pathways to designers, editors and other
practitioners, which is one reason for why many people favour
digital pathways in this age. As Davis puts it, 'it quickly became
apparent that interactive media held the potential for bigger and
better things (2012, p209).
It is clear that 'as software developed, it became possible to
create and output accurate facsimiles of printed work in a fraction

of the time spent in hand-generated processes and that there

became a new way to produce images and typographic form never
before attainable by mechanical means' (Davis, 2012, p208).
Alongside making the design process much more efficient for
designers, the development of software has opened new
possibilities for the design industry as a whole. Fairly recent, digital
areas of design, such as motion graphics and web design, have
created new job opportunities for thousands of designers around
the world. Modern software enables designers to present their
ideas clearly in a diverse range of ways, as opposed to being
constrained to the two-dimensional limits of print methods. In this
sense, the role of print in the digital age has become less
important, as new interactive possibilities are being used more and
more over print methods.
However, Print media is tangible and a more natural way to
approach design than digital methods. Davis argues a key point
that design educators still ponder the efficacy of pedagogical
strategies that introduce students to the computer in their earliest
design experiences (2012, p213). Despite the benefits of
technological advancements, it can be very useful to learn about
print because it still has a vast range of uses, being used to create
magazines, newspapers, billboard ads, business cards and many
more. Eshet-Alkalai & Geri (2007; 2010) discovered that young
people tend to analyse text better in a digital format, whilst older
people read the same text more analytically in a printed format. In
this sense, the point that Davis presents can be challenged, as
children can benefit from reading text digitally, rather than through
print. In some aspects however, digital text can be hard to read; in
Print Versus Digital: The Effect of Format on Performance in
Editing Text, a key analysis is made into how 'among [the problems
in digital] problems are the large reading-distance from the display,
the long lines, the problem in shifting the eye-gaze from line to line

and the blurring of text on computer monitors' (Eden, S & EshetAlkalai, Y, 2012, p13). Whilst digital and printed work have
negative and positive aspects to them, students should be taught
with both mediums, rather than solely print or digital.
Target audiences must really be considered when discussing
the role of print media in the digital age. According to Davis (2012),
the distribution of work online is much quicker and easier than
print methods. This is mainly because there is a much larger
audience online; print publications can spread information quickly
through the distribution of copies; however, from 2000 to 2014
there has been an increase from 4 million online users worldwide
to 2.9 billion, according to a new report from the International
Telecommunication Union. The bar chart of this increase can be
seen on the previous page. This is an audience that print media
would never be able to reach. Online marketing and advertising
make it much simpler to target specific audiences, whereas, for

printed publications, it is much more difficult to target desired

audiences. To this degree, it does seem as though print is being
overtaken by digital means in order to boost the reach of
magazines and their content.
The 2015 Modern Magazine conference looked at the future
of the editorial industry, with a real focus on the uses of print and

digital aspects. Andrew Tuck, one of the founders of Monocle, a

renown magazine that focuses on global affairs, business, culture,
design and much more, talked about the companys decision to
begin hosting radio podcasts online in 2011, alongside the printed
magazines they produce. One point that he raised is that radio,
even though its not face-to-face, allows us to do something
interesting. Theres something about the voice that connects with
our audience in a really special way (2015). Unlike print, radio
hasnt faced the same sort of challenges that the print industry has
had to deal with. Their online radio station, Monocle 24, receives
over 800,000 listeners a day in comparison to the magazine, which
sells 80,000 copies each issue. This vast difference highlights the
impact of the Internet and how it can be used to expand a business,
especially one that sells printed magazine. It can be hard to make a
profit from printed magazines alone; however, Monocle have shown
that print still has a purpose in the digital age and that it can be
used harmoniously with online elements successfully. The main
challenge for print media is whether it will be replaced by digital
methods.
Apple released their Newsstand app as part of IOS 5 on
September 19, 2012. Future Publishing, the UK's leading games
publisher, placed their magazines on Newsstand when it was
released. As reported by Business Insider (2011), Apples digital
sales increased by 750% once Newsstand launched - two million
downloads were made over a three-day period. Mark Wood, the
CEO of Future Publishing, stated that Future has sold more digital
editions in the past four days through Apples Newsstand than in a
normal month (2011). As successful as this was for the company,
the chance that, in years to come, people could entirely choose to
purchase copies of magazines digitally, rather than physical copies,
became a possibility. The concept that print in magazines and
publications will eventually become non-existent due to publishers

using solely digital platforms is unlikely; however, it is a possibility

that needs to be further considered.
Many online authors have the freedom to write articles that
are biased or use false information. The digital age has made it
easy for anyone to publish their work online, as opposed to print,
which involves capital, approval, and production time necessary to
distribute content (Davis, p208). There are three main types of
websites that are particularly concerning - hoax news websites,
satire websites and clickbait websites. The articles created on
these sites are typically over the top and meant to be funny;
however, some are an attempt to fool people who do not check
sources and will just pass the news on as if it were really true.
Articles in printed newspapers and magazines are
trustworthy in comparison to the majority of those that exist online.
With printed publications you know who the author is and where
the sources of information are from. This clarity is often lost online.
As Alan Rusbridger, Editor-in-chief of the Guardian, puts it we
have to face up to the prospect that for first time since the
enlightenment, you are going to have major cities in the UK and
western democracies without any kind of verifiable source of news.
That hasnt happened for 200-300 years and I think it is going to
have very profound implications (2008). The Internet also poses
the threats of viruses and spam, which can infiltrate personal
details and damage vulnerable users. This is one of the negative
aspects of the digital age, as print media is a much safer way to
distribute content.
The death of print would create a whole range of problems,
one of which being political. According to Professor Paul Starr, cofounder of The American Prospect magazine, newspapers have
provided much more than just news coverage (2009). In fact, they
have lent the public a powerful means of leverage over the state,

and this leverage is now at risk. Newspapers have helped to control

corrupt tendencies in both government and business. The end of
the age of newspapers implies a change in the political system
itself. The danger of print media dying is that there will be nothing
to stand against the censorship of articles. If newspapers are no
longer produced, the threats of exposure are decreased, resulting
in corruption in governments and industries as a whole expectedly
increasing.

As part of the The Journal of Law, Economics, and

Organization, Vol. 19, Carles Boix, Alcia Adser and Mark Payne
made a report named Are You Being Served? Political
Accountability and Quality of Government. Section 2 of the study,
entitled Governance and Corruption in the World, analyses
worldwide corruption since 1980. The level of corruption and
newspaper circulation in 1997-98 is of particular interest. After

analysing various factors, a diagram was created highlighting the

relationship between the index of lack of corruption and
newspapers per person. As seen on the following page, there is a
positive linear correlation between the two that emphasises how
as the per capita circulation of newspapers increases,
governments become less efficient and corruption goes up (2003).
It is therefore crucial that print media survives in the digital age, as
the death of newspapers would see a spike in levels of corruption
worldwide. Not only this, but the general public would have no
verifiable knowledge on their governments actions. As the report
was made before the 21st century, it could be argued that the
positive linear relationship between the index of lack of corruption
and newspapers per person is no longer representative of todays
world corruption, as it has been 13 years since the report was
made. However, the statistics gathered are very important to take
into account because they were taken during the mid-point of the
digital age.
The role of print media in graphic design and the creative
industries has changed remarkably in the last 40 years. Not only is
it important to consider the benefits that print and digital methods
have brought to these industries, but it is crucial to look at how
print can complement the digital options, and vice versa. As
already touched on, the advancements in digital technology have
brought about new job opportunities and creative pathways for
designers around the world; whilst, target audiences have had a
large effect on the transition from print to digital mediums.
Printed magazines are a key part of the graphic design and
publishing industry. Reported by the Department for Culture Media
and Sport (2015) the Gross Value Added by UK publishing in 2014
was estimated to be 9.94bn, which had risen from 8.97bn in
2008 - larger than the GVA of Graphic Design alone, which stood at
3.1bn in 2014. In 2015, the Association of Magazine Media

produced their annual report named Magazine Media Factbook

2015. Mary G. Berner, the President and Chief Executive Officer of
MPA The Association of Magazine Media stated that the facts,
figures and trends within the new Magazine Media Factbook
demonstrate that magazine media continues to be the most trusted,
inspiring and influential media (2015, p3).
Despite the ongoing criticism that the print industry is dead,
the Factbook uses data from leading third-party providers to
highlight that print and digital magazines are at the forefront of the
publishing industry. The Factbook currently covers approximately
145 magazine media brands from more than 30 companies,
representing 95% of the reader universe (2015, p6). Platforms and
formats covered include print and digital editions, web
(desktop/laptop), mobile web and video (2015, p6). As digital
technologies have developed there has been a concern that
younger generations will eventually solely use digital methods over
print. The statistics in the Factbook prove otherwise however, as it
shows how younger adults are the heaviest consumers of print
magazines. In the last six months, 91 percent of adults read
magazine editions, whereas 95 percent of those under the age of
25 read magazine editions in the last six months (2015, p29). This
shows how only around 5 percent of American people under the
age of 25 did not read printed magazines. Despite the fact that this
would most likely vary in different countries, the fact that over 9/10
young and old adults in the US read printed magazines is
remarkably high. It indicates that print is far from being dead and
that printed magazines are in fact in high demand in the digital
age.

Additionally, the print and digital industry, as whole, is

growing year after year. According to the Factbook, from 2012 to
2014, the net audience for magazine print and digital editions has
grown from 210.7 million to 215.7 million. Furthermore, the
percentage of American adults who read digital edition magazines
has more than quadrupled over the past 3 years (2015, p26),
increasing from 1.4 percent in 2011 to 6 percent in 2014. These
statistics strongly suggest that companies are continuing to
develop their publications by producing digital editions and printed
editions together in a successful way. Some of the leading digital
businesses such as CNet, Airbnb, Uber and Net-A-Porter launched
their first ever print magazines in 2015 and the number of US
consumer print magazines increased from 6,325 in 2005 to 7,289 in
2014. This goes to show how companies still value the print
industry and the benefits it brings.
There is one key statistic that
highlights this main idea that print
and digital methods should be used
effectively together. In the first
quarter of 2015, print and digital
editions, alone, made up 60 percent
of the total monthly average
audience of recorded brands. This is a majority compared to the
audiences that were gained through web, mobile web and video

methods, which add to a combined 40 percent. By considering

these statistics, the earlier raised point that in years to come,
people could entirely choose to
purchase copies of magazines
digitally, rather than physical
copies can be strongly argued.
There is still the possibility that
this could eventually happen at

some point in the distant future; however, the fact that the number
of printed magazines per year is increasing, and printed and digital
edition magazines are at the forefront of the industry, indicates that
printed methods will continue to be used for years to come.
One aspect that should be
considered is the attempt to
recreate printed magazines
digitally. Uncube magazine is a
successful online magazine that
claims to have taken all the things that print does so well, and
made it digital (Uncube, 2016). As seen in a few of the images
above, the layout does have some of the aspects present in printed

magazines. It has a cover page, a contents page and well

considered laid out content. Pages have been well designed in
terms of the use of grids and high contrast between type and
imagery for optimum readability. Whilst this may appear to be a
new, intuitive way of displaying magazine content, there are
actually many aspects of the digital platform that do not take all
the things print does so well. David Lane, founder of The
Gourmand magazine, made a very interesting point at the Modern
Magazine Talks 2015. He pushed the point that you get experiences
from print that will never be recreated online. He urged people to
utilize digital advantages that cant be achieved in print, rather
than regurgitating material. In the sense of Uncube, content is
purely online; therefore, content is not regurgitated. However, they
are not taking advantage of the benefits of using print and digital
together they have only produced a digital outcome. The online
model will never be able to recreate the effect of print because the
main thing that it achieves is tangibility. Turning a physical piece of
paper can not currently be achieved online, and it most likely never
will be. In this sense, digital options should not be used in place of
print.
Despite the negative aspects of the Uncube platform, Sophie
Lovell, the editor-in-chief of the magazine, made a point that really
sums up this debate - Digital vs. print. This is something people
ask me about all the time. Its not a competition though; these are
two completely different things (2015). There is no simple answer
as to whether digital is better than print or vice versa; both have
beneficial qualities that should be used together in the most
appropriate ways. Why make the two compete with each other
when they can be used side by side? David Johnson, a professor of
journalism at the American University School of Communication,
made a very accurate point about the role of print in a blog post
named Digital First? Print First? Both Should Work Together. He

states - The smart answer isnt putting digital or print first, but to
put design and usability first, using each product for what they do
best and let them do it together (2012). It is not about the choice
of whether print or digital should be used; it is more about the
variety of ways they can be used and the effectiveness of how they
can be used together.
The advancements in technology, the efficiency of digital
methods and the huge audience available online have caused a shift
in focus from using print to digital over the years. These aspects
should not hinder the production of print; they should rather be
adopted and understood by companies so that their works fullest
potential can be reached. If print lost its role in the digital age
there would be many negative impacts that would affect the
creative industries. The loss of newspapers could risk an increase
in levels of corruption worldwide and the uncertainty of verifiable
knowledge on government actions. In terms of design, the loss of
printed work would result in the loss of that tangible, natural
quality that print provides. Plus, there would be no diversity in the
production of work; everything would be on-screen, which would
affect the printed magazine industry and print factories hugely.
Therefore, in the respect of these points it is a certainty that print
has, and needs to keep, a role in the digital age. The focus should
now be on achieving a balance between printed methods and
digital methods to ensure the best possible user experiences.
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Matt Fraser,
2016