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. The question of 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 twodimensional 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. As all
graphic design work was initially print-based and hand-rendered, it is beneficial for
current generations to understand and appreciate the processes used in early design. A
wider variety of pathways and outcomes are created when designers are knowledgeable in
print processes and digital methods. Therefore, in this aspect, print should have an
influential role in the digital age.

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
below. 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, co-founder 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.
Sophie Lovell, the editor-in-chief of Uncube 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. Discussed aspects, such as
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 would risk the 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 adds to any piece of work. 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.
Bibliography:
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Matt Fraser, 2015