Print media has long been one of the primary sources for news and entertainment updates. However, as the digital era progresses, the future of print media has become uncertain. Now, print and digital media compete to be the main medium that people use to keep themselves on top of the news.
In a battle of traditional print vs. digital media, here’s how print media continues to survive in the digital era.
Print Media Is More Reliable for World News
There are hundreds of instances of fake news spreading through social media and getting people’s attention. Creating an Instagram or Facebook profile that circulates false information is extremely easy and spreads the news much faster than on print.
This is why many people who are interested in keeping up with factual, reliable news updates prefer print media that has gone through a thorough verification process. Print media from trusted, established outlets is more likely to be correct than something that is being circulated on various social media platforms.
If someone was interested in getting a detailed story regarding a certain event, they may prefer a carefully researched article provided in print media than a hastily written and unverified version that surfaces immediately on social media.
Print Media Stays Exclusive
One reason why many print media outlets stay relevant is that they do not provide the same information online. If a dedicated reader can access the same information on the online platform of the same outlet, they are not going to spend money buying the print version.
Print media that remains exclusively on print and does not provide full coverage on their online platforms are more likely to be bought, because readers know that there are no other ways of getting access to the news. Many media outlets now have limits on how many free articles you can read online before requiring a subscription.
This often pushes readers to purchase a print version of the news in order to get the full story.
Print Media Provides a Tangible Experience
It may not be as important to some people as it is to others, but being able to hold a newspaper or magazine and browse through it has a certain appeal. Scrolling through the news on social media may be convenient, but many people still prefer to have a hands-on experience of skimming pages and taking in the information within the pages.
For many consumers of high-end magazines, this is a primary factor for continuing to invest in physical copies of their favorite print media sources for news and entertainment. Even when digital media is taking over the mainstream source for news; among older readers, as well as ones interested in keeping physical copies of media, print media is still their primary choice.
Final Words
Traditional print vs. digital media has been an ongoing debate. Recently, world events have created a major demand for reliable and well researched news. Because of this, many news outlets have sold more print copies than they previously had. An increase in widely-followed world events has led to a comeback in the demand of print media by competent journalists.
