For years, I turned up my nose at E-book readers and valiantly declared that I would never succumb to their wily charms.
Last year, my husband took the decision out of my hands and bought me one for my birthday. After the initial display of happiness (he had chosen a beautiful cover for it), I grudgingly tried it out and now, I am ashamed to say, I never leave home without it.
This year, my birthday present included a subscription to my favourite magazine.
I experienced a moment of panic thinking it was a subscription to their online version.
It was not.
I was delighted.
I love ‘actual’ magazines – the smell, the feel of glossy paper and the little samples of the latest moisturiser or perfume stuck awkwardly on one of the pages.
I really like the fact that I can read an article, then roll up the magazine, and stuff it in my handbag to finish reading later.
Digital limitations
I cannot do any of these with digital media. Yet, we know that there is a distinct move towards all things digital and that the shift poses a challenge to traditional print media.
We know that the digital age has changed the way news is delivered, and how we consume news. It has removed barriers and so, there are more news sources.
Consumers have grown used to real-time news updates.
Digital media provides consumers with immediacy – we no longer have to wait for tomorrow’s newspaper to find out what happened today – and it allows consumers easy access to news.
All online
I know that I get most of my news through Facebook and the Stuff website and in turn, share them through Facebook and Twitter.
A recent US study found that 71% of Internet users receive news through email forwards or posts on social networking sites, and 48% of them share the information that they receive by forwarding links and stories.
Many people I know also subscribe to news feeds and email alerts.
News Aggregators
Recently, I heard about news aggregators – websites like Google News and Huffington Post that collate stories from multiple websites. This allows consumers to access stories from various websites through one platform.
Digital media also allows consumers to design their own consumption through sites that allow news stories to be customised according to content and layout.
Finally, digital media is undoubtedly more eco-friendly than traditional print media.
The way we consume news has changed. The digital revolution has well and truly begun.
Does this spell the death of print media?
Print media still has its advantages. To name a few, many are still unwaveringly loyal to print media and slightly uncomfortable with rapid technological change.
The aesthetic appeal of print media has not yet been replicated adequately by digital forms. Finally, print media is still more portable, although this is being threatened by the plethora of handheld devices on the market these days.
Paradigm shift
While the world is moving towards digital media, and a transformation is inevitable, I think this will take decades and not years. The newspaper industry must acknowledge the shift, but there is time and the opportunity for change.
At this juncture, I would like to congratulate Indian Newslink –Venkat Raman and his team on 15 years of success in an environment that is in constant flux.
I wish the publication well for many more successes.
Today’s consumers are increasingly fussy. We have a mindboggling array of news media to choose from and we are becoming increasingly drawn to those that are visually appealing. We want quality, and we want it now.
Some inadequacies
Most companies these days adopt a hybrid model – print and digital news content – and Indian Newslink is no exception. Hard copies of the newspaper are not easily available where I live, and I have found the web edition extremely useful. The website also makes it much easier to share articles with friends and family.
However, it has crossed my mind that the publication (both print and digital versions) could use a makeover. For example, the print version could make more effective use of typography, photography and page layout.
In terms of content, I have appreciated the balance between soft and hard news offered by Indian Newslink. However, I would like to see more investigative journalism, and more content that appeals to a younger audience.
Youth engagement in news media is a challenge globally, but it is an important consideration – they are the consumers of the future.
Web technology has given us knowledge, access and skills beyond comparison. The opportunities for a slick, user-friendly, interactive Indian Newslink website are numerous; and this is where the youth market could be better engaged.
Finally, much as I love print media, the world is changing and I suspect we will need to embrace that change to survive and grow. As they say, change is the only constant.
Priyanca Radhakrishnan was considerably well ranked on Labour Party List for the general election held on September 20, 2014 but the Party’s dismal performance did not carry her to Parliament. She is a young woman known for her strong principles, analytical expertise and courage of conviction. Parliamentary Services recently appointed her to the post of ‘Policy, Research and Communications Assistant’ to Labour MP Ethnic Affairs Spokesperson Phil Goff. Her new assignment (in December 2014) will take Ms Radhakrishnan to ethnic communities to understand their concerns and issues and develop policies and programmes for Labour.
