Final Essay

What is the role of print media in the digital age?

Print media has been the lifeline of communication around the world, whether this was through art, the news or story telling. It brings people and ideas together. However despite print playing such an important part in the world’s history, publications and newspapers such as The Independent are being forced to take the leap into a digital future. The personal computer was the introduction into the digital age (1970), it provided the ability to transfer information freely and quickly which soon developed into mobile devices such as mobile phones and tablets. The role of print media in modern society is changing, people are becoming more dependent on technology such as mobile phones, tablets and computers due to the functionality and availability of information. The structure of this essay will look at the brief history and social impact that print has made on society to see how it’s role has evolved to impact society in the digital age, specifically arguing cost, marketing and distribution. 

It can be argued that print media initiated social change due to information being available to anyone. As a result, the class systems began to merge, providing news, entertainment and education for anyone, creating a mass print culture. However, some people believed that using print to facilitate artwork caused a lacking in its ‘unique existence at the place where it happens to be’ (Benjamin, 1936). Walter Benjamin coined the lexis ‘AURA’ to describe the genius, creativity, eternal value and tradition of fine art.  

Oil paintings (Fig. 1) were created by skilled practitioners to get a realistic outcome. However, the invention of the printing press facilitated reproduction, allowing countless prints of the exact same image to be made. During 1867, Auguste Blanchard used printing techniques to reproduce Hunt’s oil painting (Fig. 2)

 Reproducing a piece of art creates an income for the artist and provides the opportunity for anyone to own it. However, Benjamin believed the reproduction of art desensitises the craftsmanship and uniqueness as it is no longer bespoke. Benjamin’s ‘AURA’ can be re-conceptualised towards media on the internet as digital representations of fine art or eBooks can’t be owned or touched, taking away its ‘aura’. Seeing print media in a negative light is something that is becoming more apparent, especially when considering Benjamin’s statement. The printing press created a mass print culture that, even today, provides the opportunity to facilitate art and design, making priceless art available for the masses. The Mona Lisa is a prime example of this, it’s reproduction for posters, T-shirts and even pencil cases have made the historical painting even more iconic. Benjamin’s AURA concept is outdated due to the expansion of technology and society, therefor print media provides the opportunity for artwork to be available for the masses, not just the rich.

The 21st century has seen the digital age recreating magazines, newspapers and books to be published online as eBooks. This has made information cheaper and more efficient to share worldwide than traditional printing. This is because there are no charges for materials and processes such as printing methods and stock quality. Printing is often a costly process, particularly traditional print, as it can take a lot of time, effort and skill. However it is still a medium widely used and loved. Freya Faulkner is a practicing illustrator and screen printer based in London who still uses analogue techniques such as traditional print. She argues that ‘a poster stays visible whether you choose to look at it or not. It’s presence, moment to moment, isn’t dependent on the life of your battery or signal on your phone’ (Freya Faulkner, 2016). Faulkner points out that print media isn’t limited by technology such as pixel size and battery life. It is permanent and therefor the audience can be more dependent on it. It is clear that Faulkner has a passion for printed media and she isn’t alone. However it can be argued that digital media allows people to see the visual information in more detail as the audience can zoom in and navigate around the page with ease. In a world dominated by digital media, simply owning printed media gives people a sense of ownership and uniqueness, therefor print media is to provide a permanent solution.

People like to own limited edition magazines, artwork and newspapers if it is a significant day such as the death of David Bowie, or the inauguration of Barak Obama. Print gives a guarantee that nothing will change, it is timeless, whereas the internet can be manipulated as it isn’t in the audiences control. This is why print media is relied upon for the purpose of memorabilia. The smell of the pages and feel of the paper is tactile which is why print media is more expensive than viewing free information online. The audience is paying for a personal experience with the media. It is their responsibility to keep the copy, look after it, lend it, borrow it or throw it away. On the other hand, digital media provides the opportunity to share information to any other device around the world with an internet connection, for free and in a matter of seconds. This is an example of how the availability of digital information is pushing print media away. However, print can bring people together as second hand book shops are becoming more popular, thus allowing people to share stories, articles and news face to face, increasing social interaction.

It is clear that editors and publication designers are having to adapt to the new forms of information as there is a demand for online content. A trend is growing where people use online publications instead of print because all the information is in one place. Andrew Tuck is the founding editor of the leading current affairs, business and design magazine; Monocle. He stated that in 2015 they printed 81,200 issues per month, yet 800,000 people listen to the information on their website each month. It begs the question, why go through all the effort of publishing a physical magazine when it can be posted online, to anyone and everyone, and in a lot of cases for free? In response to this, Grashina Gablemann, an editor in chief for Flaneur Magazine coined the lexis ‘unprintables’ as a section of the magazine’s website devoted to visual information that can not be translated into print, for example videos and music. Print media and digital media both have there limitations, however by embracing Gablemann’s concept of ‘unprintables’ it provides the opportunity to choose what information is appropriate for print and digital media. James Fairbank, head of Central & Brand Marketing for Rapha Magazine comments on how Rapha online is about immediate information, whereas the purpose of print is to provide detailed information and quality.

Publications such as The Guardian, The Times and Vogue are adapting so that consumers can pay for a digital representation of the publication. The content is the same, however the digital capacity allows videos and high quality images to accompany the information. The Independent is the first national newspaper to move to a completely digital future because they have identified that digital growth over the past three years has increased readership. As a result they are expected to see revenue growth of 50% this year (Lebedev, 2016). However, digital media can be limited by many variables that print media can easily overcome. Technology makes consumers pay for the device, often an internet connection and then a digital representation of print media. This is a lot of money considering a physical copy of a book can be paid for in one small sum. There is a lot more freedom when working with print media because the size and colour of the composition doesn't have to be limited and confined inside a screen. For example a reproduction of a Jackson Pollock composition can be printed to any scale, even the original size. Phones, computers and tablet screens aren’t capable of this which is why print media hasn’t been overthrown by the digital age because it is permanent. 

Pressing vinyl into records almost became obsolete due to digital streaming and download sites such as iTunes and Spotify having millions of songs immediately available in one place. However, according to the BPI (British Phonographic Industry), during the first half of 2015, sales in vinyl increased by 56% (Rundle, 2015) and half of these buyers are under 25 years of age, a surprising statistic considering that this is the generation that has grown up with the digital age. Geoff Taylor, chief executive at BPI stated, 'Millions of households are experiencing the joy of instantly playing any song they want, all around their house and on any device’ (Rundle, 2015). However, this doesn’t explain why sales in vinyl are increasing. As a response to this, Taylor believes that ‘many fans are rediscovering the slower pleasure of collecting and owning music on CD and vinyl.’ Digital media is available at the touch of a button, whether that’s music, news, art or books, but it isn’t physically owned by them and anyone can access it. It seems print businesses, along with a lot of the public, are still trying to follow the digital age, however like vinyl, people will always buy print media because of the sense of quality and ownership.

Anyone can post an article online so the information may not be trustworthy, for example the information on Wikipedia can be edited and changed by anyone. However, print media is honest; book publishers are strict with content, making sure the information is accurate which makes it trustworthy, thus giving print media the role to inform. Although digital media provides a large variety of information, print has to go through quality control which makes it more expensive. However, it can be argued that the reason for the downfall of print media, such as magazines, is because of advertising. Before the digital age, magazines gained most of their revenue from advertising, charging the businesses money. As a result, the magazine didn’t just have to rely upon consumers. However, businesses are moving to digital resources such as the internet to advertise, leaving independent publishers to survive as they are funded by loyal followers. Nevertheless marketing and advertising do use print media because of its tangibility. Having the publication in your hand, whether that’s a business card or leaflet, triggers the senses because of the feel and smell of the material. The thickness and surface texture of the paper can help a person gain their own opinion, stimulating a sensory media experience. If a print appeals to more than three senses, advertising effectiveness will increase by 70% (Martin Lindstrom, 2010). Digital advertising is an inconvenience as the audience doesn't have a choice whether they want to watch it or not, however with print media, the owner can simply turn the page, making print a user friendly experience. 

It can be argued that digital information does not impact the audience as much as a tactile, physical publication. According to Ferris Jabr, ‘Since at least the 1980s researchers in many different fields have investigated such questions in more than one hundred published studies’ (Scientific America, 2013). Most studies concluded that people read slower, less accurately and less comprehensively on screens than on paper. In todays digital world, print media is more rewarding and effective, compared to digital due to physical manipulations, such as scrolling, distracting the focus; ‘Multimedia features, such as links, videos, and animations, tend to distract and also leave little room for imagination to come into play.’ This evidence from Jabr and Perez is important to consider because the purpose of reading information, especially copy, is to inform, educate and entertain and if the information isn’t going to impact the audience online then print media is the most appropriate option. Amazon, as well as a variety of other ebook retailers, sell them for a lot cheaper compared to getting a physical copy, yet people are still buying more physical copies. This is evidence to support the fact that print media is a more stimulating and therefor influential method of reading information. Print media such as a publication, or even a piece of art, is all relevant, and as a result, people will spend longer reading it. Paper books are physical, which means the audience can see where the book begins and ends, allowing them to judge the novel/information as a journey. 

Print media is accessible. Seeing a copy of Private Eye in a cafe or waiting room for example means that the product itself is available for anyone to pick up and read. This creates free advertising and gets the name out into the public. Private Eye is the UK's number one best-selling news and current affairs magazine, edited by Ian Hislop. The magazine offers social and political observations presented as humorous cartoons. Published fortnightly, the magazine has over 700,000 readers (Private Eye, About, 2016). The magazine’s circulation has been growing over the past 10 years. To increase the publication’s popularity, they post a flavour of the issue online, enticing more customers to subscribe or buy the printed magazine. Hislop believes that other magazines and newspapers are, ‘giving away what they had for free, not gaining any readers through it, but actually losing them.’ This attitude to print media is refreshing in the digital age, people will still buy print media for the enjoyment of having a tactile publication and owning all of the information. 

Hislop has refused to post entire issues online because he believes there’s no evidence that shows digital publications are effective for the consumer: ‘I think people get it and then don't use it, whereas if you buy a paper, you read it’. This suggests that digital media doesn’t give people a sense of ownership because the information isn’t tactile. However, Adam Macqueen believes the magazine would lend itself quite well to a digital edition for subscribers: ‘It would get to subscribers ahead of the post – which would be of particular interest to the growing number of international subscribers – and it would mean the legions of older readers who complain about the size of our text would be able to enlarge it. Plus you would be able to blow up cartoons and see them in their full glory’ (Byrne, 2014). Macqueen is embracing the digital age to benefit and increase readership for its broad audience, however Hislop strongly believes that the traditional publication is more appropriate for Private Eye’s legacy. The fact that Hislop is refusing to publish the content online shows how reliant people are on the medium because it is practical.  

QR codes have been developed like a barcode that a phone/tablet can scan to automatically send the audience to a specific website link. This is an example of how printed media and the digital age can work together. Magazines can use these QR codes for support on ‘unprintables’ which will encourage more people to buy the printed magazine. Nicole Cullum Horn is an artist who has used the QR code to raise awareness and promote Art Conspiracy, an art collective that use their collaborative talents to raise money for grassroots art charities in Dallas (2d-Code, Roger, 2010). This is an example of how QR codes are being used more in marketing as it combines both print and digital media. 

Print media is often used to support digital media  including film and a plethora of other industries. Programs and leaflets inform the audience on a personal level, providing information related to the subject such as the actors and storyline. Although buying a program isn’t compulsory, audiences like to have a publication with all the information in one place. The information is accurate and often presented in an appropriate publication.  Ownership allows the audience to decide whether they want to keep the publication as a souvenir, an object that can remind them of a specific person, place or event in their life. This can benefit directors and producers because there name will be forever printed on the publication which will ultimately increase awareness.

In conclusion, print media continues its role to provide a personal and trustworthy during the digital age. Although print has it’s limitations, it is a consistent medium for sharing information to the masses due to its tangible characteristics which are recognised by Faulkner and Hislop. The limitations of both print and digital media evidenced in the essay suggest that both mediums have the capabilities to work together due to QR codes and editors such as Gablemann closing the gap between the two. Although people are more reliant on digital media, print is permanent and therefor it can bring out emotions while digital fulfils the immediacy of modern life. 

Bibliography

(Fig. 1) The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple, 1860, William Homan Hunt, https://ordokalendar.wordpress.com/mysteries-of-joy-%E2%80%94-5-finding/ (Accessed November, 2015)

(Fig. 2) The Finding of the Saviour in the Temple, 1867, Auguste Blanchard, http://www.artnet.com/artists/william-holman-hunt/the-finding-of-the-saviour-in-the-temple-by-CpYz18Wf5JTuiImL4jLfyw2 (Accessed November, 2015)

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About, Private Eye, http://www.private-eye.co.uk/about (Accessed February 2016)

The ‘comeback’ continues, The Vinyl Factory, July 3, 2015 http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-news/vinyl-sales-climb-over-56-in-the-first-half-of-2015-on-track-for-biggest-total-sales-in-over-a-decade/ (Accessed January 2016)

More evidence that millennials love vinyl, The Vinyl Factory, November 9, 2015, http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-news/vinyl-sales-set-for-another-record-breaking-year-with-young-people-leading-the-revivial/ (Accessed January 2016)

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