So Edelman Inc.’s Steve Rubel wants to know if printed media has become more or less important with the “rise of its digital counterpart.” From what I can see, printed media is not only becoming less “important,” (and I’ll get to what definition of important I’m using for this judgment) but the digital counterpart to which Rubel refers is taking over.
I frequently hear of newspaper companies going bankrupt. In late March, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer made national headlines when it announced it would no longer sell a printed paper. It’s pretty clear the Seattle PI is just the first of many print media outlets that will fall victim to the digital age. In fact, as I’m writing this blog entry, there is a rally going on a few miles away in downtown Boston to save the Boston Globe, which the New York Times Co. threatens to close unless the Globe can cut $20 million from its budget.
Why is the digital media slaying printed media? I find consumers prefer receiving news from Internet or digital sources for two main reasons: they’re faster and they’re more versatile.
Digital Media is Faster
Boston University Professor Dr. Don Wright tells students how he learned about the terrorist attacks in Mumbai. He says by monitoring Twitter feeds, he was able to learn all about the developing story before CNN even mentioned the headline-worthy issue twelve minutes later. Printed media, by nature, cannot keep up with the breaking news real-time delivery digital media provides.
Newspapers printed every morning mostly deliver “what happened yesterday,” but the speed with which new media can be updated helps tell online audiences “what’s happening now.”
Digital Media is More Versatile
A second reason why media in digital forms is more popular is because it is more convenient. RSS feeds and mobile devices like the BlackBerry and the iPhone give consumers the ability to read whatever wherever. Instead of carrying a heavy book for subway reading, I constantly see more and more Kindles.
Oh yeah, and then there’s the whole sharing and engaging in conversation thing. Every single news article, blog post and video online is equipped with Share This widgets. The Internet’s hypertext ability led author David Meerman Scott to declare that a blog post about him brought him more business than a New York Times write-up because the blog post linked to his website. Digital media is versatile, and people are growing used to the convenience.
Although citizen journalism tends to be quicker and more convenient, traditional media outlets will still play a role in the news: they serve as a fact check. Citizen journalism is great, I think. Let it run wild. But its flaw lies in the fact that citizens are not trained journalists. Their word should be taken no more seriously than advice from strangers on the street. When we need accuracy, or a reputable source of information, we will not be turning to blogs or microblogging “experts.” Not yet.
Before the Internet, printed media was the only media. Now, it is competing with its digital counterpart. Important (as defined by the Dictionary.com application on my iPod, not by a conventional dictionary) means “of considerable influence or authority.” Printed media is losing some of its influence with the deluge of digital content. Is it still a source of authority? Sure. But that authority is necessary as a result of digital media dominance.
The takeaway for PR professionals and marketers is to adapt–the same way printed media is in the process of doing–to the new digital nature of media. They need to harness blogs and online communities. They need to use the digital tools to target audiences and deliver their messages.
