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Can you predict the future of print media?

Can you predict the future of print media?




The first print newspaper of India,‘Hicky's Bengal Gazette’, appeared in 1780 in Calcutta. While the first one from Chennai was ‘The Madras Courier’, which was started in 1785.

Since then, 100s of newspapers in many languages have appeared and played huge role in keeping their readers abreast of the happenings in politics, government, commerce, society, sports etc. Along with dailies, periodicals too proliferated. 20th century can be reckoned as the century of the print media, although in the latter part, Television started encroaching the media space, big time.

As newer technologies creep in, the print media has started feeling the heat.

In the early 2000, online and digital publishing in India took roots. Print newspapers and periodicals launched their own digital versions of their print dailies and magazines like The Hindu, Times of India, Indian Express, India Today, Dinamani, Dinamalar, Kumuudam, Anantha Vikatan and many others. Most of them have apps too. All the newspapers are currently available, for free, online and periodicals come with a cost of subscription.

In addition to these, aggregators of news, the Ubers of media, like www.samachar.com offer a basket of newspapers and magazines at one portal, free of cost, currently.

Print delivers up-to-date news, meaning yesterday’s news until end of that day. But digital offers news, up-to-minute or even up-to-second.

“News is news, paper is only a carrier of news. News can survive without paper!” say the supporters of digital media.

In addition, advertisement revenues which are the mainstay of print newspapers’ business model, have started stagnating. These revenues have been subsidising the cost for the readers who pay few rupees per copy that can barely cover the cost of ink on it.
        
Is the print media on the verge of going out of print?

But the print media is not surrendering meekly. In the early 2000, doomsday forecasters in the west predicted death to print media by 2010. However, even after a decade, print media continues to have a presence and more importantly, relevance in the west. In India, the print media has shown much higher resilience than the west.

Press, in the form of print media, has been a strong pillar of any democracy. It gives a sense of a product or brand – very difficult to erase in the minds of its readers. In addition, print media has had huge advantages of well-established network of reporters and op-ed writers, when compared with digital media.

People from the older generation have a strong liking towards print newspaper. Picking the newspaper early in the morning from the door steps and reading it while sipping hot filter coffee has been the routine for generations, in many homes, particularly in South India.

However, continued survival and relevance of print media depend on:
  • Its ability to attract millennial, to compensate for the attrition of its hardcore ageing readers;
  • Sustaining and improving on advertisement revenues, and
  • Creating a niche, like focusing more on hyper local news, which digital media could miss out
Should they fail in the above, then the print newspapers’ remaining life, literally, could be the same as that of its current hardcore readers.

Now, here is a chance for you to predict the future of print media.
Note: You can leave your reasoning and comments in the comments section after the poll box.

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