Pixels or Paper? The debate
continues.
by C.Asaravala
Happy
New Year. It's hard to believe that 2007 marks eight years
since the launch of FordMuscle. For those of you who have
been reading FM since 1999, we offer a big thank you for sticking
with us. For those of you who have only recently joined us,
rest assured that you have found the best Ford magazine there
is. Notice I didn't qualify my statement by adding "on
the web." FordMuscle is a magazine that happens to use
the internet as its method of delivery.
Many of my friends and colleagues in this industry often ask
what the biggest challenge has been over the years in succeeding
as a web business. While many web-based businesses struggle
with technology- problems, or issues with their revenue model,
the challenge for FordMuscle has always been in gaining acceptance
from readers, potential advertisers, and competitors, as a
legitimate publication. In a recent debate with the
editor of a print magazine I was recently reminded that this
challenge still continues.
The "print versus web" debate is faced not only
by FordMuscle but by many other digital-only publications
across all industries. The debate has evolved over the years,
and the general consensus is that digital publications have
gained widespread acceptance in the past several years. In
fact, Internet publications have become such a large influence
that many publications that were formerly print-only have
started to quickly make their way to the web, following in
the footsteps of their readers. Just take a look at what is
happening to the newspaper industry. The San Jose Mercury
News' circulation reported a 7.1 percent drop in its daily
circulation for the six-month period ending May 3, and a 9.9
percent drop in its Sunday circulation. The San Francisco
Chronicle dropped 6.1 percent daily to 468,739. The Los Angeles
Times declined 6.5 percent daily to 907,997.
This exodus to web-based publications is driven by two things,
timeliness and the access to information. Internet technology
allows information to become available almost instantaneously.
There is no need to wait for a press to run or for a mailman
to deliver. With search engine technology, a massive amount
of information from around the world, on any topic, can be
sorted and precisely searched within a few keystrokes for
next to no cost. It's this accessibility that really makes
digital publications superior. When you come onto FordMuscle
you have access to eight years and counting worth of content.
This is simply just not possible with any printed publication,
unless you are willing to source and store every issue they've
printed.
The few that minimize the legitimacy of web publications argue
that such publications are inherently less credible because
they can be produced by virtually anyone. Sure, a web site
or blog can be launched in a matter of minutes, but it takes
much longer to develop credibility. In fact, it likely takes
about the same amount of time for a publication in print,
or on the web, to develop trust amongst its readers because
credibility is a function of time and quality of information.
Whether you publish on paper or in pixels an audience of humans
still has to read, verify and accept the information for the
source to be considered trusted and credible. Very few people
would mistake the Wall St. Journal website with JoesNewsBlog
because they both happen to be on the Internet Furthermore,
I argue, that the more people that have the ability to publish,
and the greater the audience, the more likely higher credibility
content will emerge. When the ability to create and share
information is held in the hand of a few, there is an inherent
lack of scrutiny. Think how skeptical you'd be if your daily
news came from a single source.
My friends in the print industry like to remind me that at
least I can take their product in to the bathroom. I always
chuckle because I feel like saying "true, it's a good
backup in case you run out of toilet paper." In actuality
they are right, a printed magazine has advantages in portability.
It's less bulkier than the smallest of laptops and much easier
to operate. There will always be something tangible about
holding a glossy issue of HotRod in your hands while you lay
in bed. I think this will be the case for a number of years
to come. However, it is inevitable that the content in most
printed media is evolving into information that is not required
to be timely or sought after "on demand".
While I don't foresee myself ever reading my laptop in bed,
I also don't ever go thumbing through back issues of print
mags when I'm in need for a how-to on tuning my Ford EFI system.
Nope, in that case I'd check the best Ford magazine that just
happens to be online.
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