To online magazines and newspapers print look-alikes, I say ixnay

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  1

  agcereniv

  07/20/09 | Report as spam

  RE: To online magazines and newspapers print look-alikes, I say ixnay

  John,
  
  Your post certainly is thought provoking. The contrarian stance helps to clarify exactly what the point of digital publishing is.
  
  As someone in that industry, I appreciate you putting this out there. To follow up with your thoughts, I would ask whether these are the same thoughts of any observer of a replacement revolution in the history of technology. Were the same questions asked of Ford's vehicles or Edison's bulbs? Or, even more to the point, Gutenberg's Press?
  
  Sometimes, it isn't about market capture, but about market creation. Such is the case with digital publishing, just as it was with its cousin who came of age years ago, digital music and movies. This time, leaders have the advantages of experience and different motivating factors, albeit still pressing ones (costs and margins versus uncontrolled and unmonetized distribution). Many legacy groups, i.e. the Globe, have a strong appeal to one age demographic but are by-and-large missing the ones coming up behind. Of course, and as you point out, to remain viable as a business, they have to pick up new readers and determine how to generate revenue from them. As you also indicate, it isn't the content, it's the delivery vehicle that must change.
  
  To that end, the web does provide a number of opportunities. Sites are one, but they have not been all-encompassing of the web for some time. Web-centric technology, as evidenced by Apple's iTunes and iPods, are a way to deliver content on-demand and in a way that fits the individual consumer. I do agree that it isn't just taking the same layout and putting it on a site, and you are correct that publishers miss out on a lot of what the web provides if that is their approach. Digital publishing is still working on this and is very close to figuring it out.
  
  Ultimately, for many it isn't an either/or, but a both/and. Many still want a physical hardcopy issue for a myriad of reasons, as well as the convenience, reference-capacity, and storage of a digital one. However, some publishers are not allowed this luxury - between decreasing revenue and increasing costs, dramatic changes must be made to continue their work, i.e. PC Magazine by Ziff-Davis. There is an element of market adoption here, as in these cases consumers must decide whether they want to continue to have the content in a different form or lose the publication altogether. That is reality of a few in the publishing herd, but affecting more and more each and every day.
  
  Thank you for your article and the opportunity to provide feedback. Can't wait to see where this market goes!
  
  -Bret Ceren
  COO
  Faith Magazines, LLC
  www.FaithMagazines.com

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  John Dodge

  07/22/09 | Report as spam

  Reality of Publishing Herd

  Bret,
  
  Thanks for your thoughtful comments. Ironically. I just sent the link and an email to good friend of mine who's a reporter at the Globe. You just can't replicate print online or as you suggest, replicate a candle in a light bulb or the mechanics of a horse drawn carriage in a gas powered automobile. On that latter example, yes, they both have wheels, but that's where the comparison ends.
  
  Best..JD