02/27/2024
🗞️ “ While there’s no question that the digital transformation has permanently changed the media industry, reports of the death of print are wide of the mark.
Print is still relevant in the digital age because it offers a ton of advantages over its digital counterparts.
Here are five for starters:
1. Credibility
Traditional print media publications have earned the trust of readers over the course of many years. Newspapers such as The Times (est. 1785) and The Guardian (est. 1821), have been producing valuable content for decades.
In the current climate of fake news, mistrust in digital media is growing. People see online news as a less credible source than printed news. As a result, people are turning to traditional outlets that have stood the test of time.
2. Permanence
Digital media is fleeting. Tweets and Facebook posts can be available one minute and gone the next. Print media, however, is permanent. Once a magazine has been published, it can't be changed.
This results in a greater sense of responsibility for writers, editors, and publishers to check their facts and verify information before going to print.
This, coupled with the permanency of ink-on-paper reinforces the idea in readers’ minds that the content they’re reading is trustworthy.
3. Accessibility
Access to the internet is not universal. As of 2022, 1.37 million people in the UK did not use the internet, meaning that 2% of the population remained offline.
People living in remote areas or on low incomes may not have internet in their homes, cutting them off from digital news sources.
For the most part, print media is affordable and accessible, and it doesn't require special knowledge or skill to use – making it a lifeline for those with limited access to digital news and information.
4. Tactility
The tactility of print should not be overlooked. As Sam Finlay, CRO of Time Inc UK, said ‘your ability to actually grab and own that audience and get your message across at some level is much easier if someone’s holding something… It’s not just merely the content. There’s something about that physical property that’s hugely important.’
The feel of a newspaper can never be replaced. There’s a tactile and sensory experience that can’t be replicated by digital media.
The very act of touching a physical piece of print while looking at it – what scientists call ‘haptic communication’ – leaves a footprint in the brain, producing an increased emotional response.
5. Engagement & enjoyment
Have you ever stared at your computer screen or phone for so long your eyes started to burn? If, like the average Brit, you spend 75% of your waking day glued to a screen, probably. But have you ever had that happen while reading a magazine? Probably not.
This is because print media is easier to read.
There are several reasons for this:
Print is visually less demanding than digital text. It provides spatial cues to help readers process words on a page.
Print media doesn’t require us to scroll, move and read text at the same time. We just have to turn the page.
Print media is easier to absorb as it's not subject to the same distractions as digital media i.e. adverts and pop-ups.
Global non-profit organisation Two Sides conducted a survey on the continued role of print in the digital world. When asked whether print or digital media was more engaging, the response was unanimous:
Nearly 90% of respondents indicated they understood, retained, or used information better when they read printed paper compared to electronic devices
81% found printed media more relaxing to read
81% of respondents preferred to read print on paper
More than 70% of respondents said they were more receptive when reading a newspaper in print, compared to 36% who felt more receptive when consuming the same content from a screen. “
-Jill 'PR Superstar' Kent
So is Print Dead? I think not. 📰