The great science fiction writer Isaac Asimov observed that print will always have one advantage over electronic media: you can drop a book or magazine in the bath and dry it out on the radiator. However, national newspaper the Independent recently announced that it will shortly be available online only. But besides preventing bathtime reads, what effect will this have on the Independent – and the way we look at the printed word?
The Indy’s History
The Independent was launched in 1986, making it one of the UK’s youngest national daily newspapers. After circulation fell, Independent News & Media sold the newspaper for just £1 million to Russian oligarch Alexander Lebedev and his son Evgeny in 2010 – as closing the company would have cost nearly £70 million thanks to pre-existing contracts. The Lebedevs have since made the decision to axe the loss-making print editions of the Independent and the Independent on Sunday and move their content online.
Meanwhile, the i newspaper, a condensed version of the Independent on sale for just 50p, is in the process of being bought by Johnston Press for £24 million. With a circulation of nearly 300,000, some have suggested that the i cannibalised the Independent’s audience.
The Challenges of Moving Online
The Independent is not yet a big provider of online news content. The Guardian and the Daily Mail are the UK newspapers whose websites account for the most worldwide traffic. The Sun’s recent decision to drop its paywall is a direct challenge to the Mail, who currently dominate with their accessible approach to online journalism. With such high levels of competition, the Independent may find themselves embroiled in this race to the bottom.
Print vs Online Content
Print traditionally provides a complete package. You can look to your newspaper for the latest breaking news, domestic matters, international affairs, financial reporting, editorials, obituaries and sport - usually in that order. Most newspapers now reproduce that content online for free. News agencies that started out life online tend to specialise. The Huffington Post for instance doesn’t really cover finance or sport, but they have sections devoted to women, young people and environmental issues, reflecting their expected demographic.
The Future of Newspapers
For some time, we’ve been told that the future of newspapers will be an expansive and searchable online database of news stories, and a shrinking accompanying print edition. However,
there’s life in print yet. The i has led the way here, demonstrating that there is still an appetite for print news consumption. And as the Independent switches to online, the Trinity Mirror group has launched a new newspaper. New Day is intended to win back customers who are too time poor to read a full newspaper. Notably, it does not have a website.
As we often remark when considering the relative benefits of print and digital, it’s definitely not a case of one or the other. Any modern business must combine the two if they are to achieve the maximum impact. At Colour Print we offer competitive prices on a large range of printed products. See our website for details or call us on 01603 488001 for a quote.
