Will the internet be responsible for the death of print media?

Along with the internet came the demise of the print news industry. With the internet’s ethos resulting in everything being faster and more efficient, their easy access systems make for a more satisfied clientele. But, is the print industry suffering only because of the annoying ink stains it leaves on our fingertips, or is the internet just the way to go for the latest technological phased generations?

Studies have shown in a March 13 2008 article by James Lewin on podcastingnews.com that the internet is increasingly popular among younger generations. The studies show that younger consumers are less likely to read print newspapers, with those aged 18-24 being 38 percent more likely than average not to read a newspaper at all throughout a typical week. This is a vast comparison from those aged 65 and older, who are nearly 3 times more likely than average to read the print edition of a newspaper at least 6 times per week. These staggering results surely brings fuel to the flame of the debate of are today’s more technological advanced generations killing the future of the print industry.

So when it comes down to it, would people prefer paying for a magazine or newspaper online rather than getting the hard copy? And will this result differ in reference to different generations also? I believe that if it comes down to simply a matter of opinion, newspapers and magazines are the way to go. Seemingly more practical, a newspaper or a magazine can be read with ease on the bus on the way to work, or lounging around at home. It is a fact that reading on a computer screen is harder than reading on paper (see blog ‘the battle of the print vs. online’). However, our society is forever changing the way that we percept things, and who knows what is yet to come in the media’s future.

Lewin, James 2008, ‘Latest Trends for News Resources’, Podcastingnews.com, 13 Mar, viewed 25 May, 2010