Monday, July 10, 2006

Phew! Digital is "no threat" to paper based media.

Brand Republic reports that a survey ,

The survey, which was conducted in association with the UK Association of
Online Publishers (AOP), asked 30 UK publishing firms their opinion on the
future of digital publishing, with 70% of those polled not perceiving
online content as a threat to print.

This is roughly equivalent to asking a flock of turkeys at Christmas whether they think a growth in ham eating is going to save their neck this year. Some hope. Asking users of information how the impact of digital information is affecting their off line reading habits might be illuminating but this isn't. Which executive in a publicly quoted publishing company is going to tell a researcher that his business model is dying on its feet?

If online content is not a threat to print why are newspaper sales in decline? Why are classified markets in regional newspapers evaporating faster than the contents of a birdbath on a hot Summers day? Why is online advertsing expected to exceed that of newspapers or magaazines within the next twelve months? Why is Google the biggest media company on the planet and not an offline publisher. Wake up Chicken Lickin', the sky really is falling in!


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