Challenges to Print Media

Nidhu Bhusan Das



Advent and use of new technology has been the cause of evolution of mass communication.Orature evolved into literature with the invention of writing. Literature spread and has been increasing in volume with the invention and upgradation of printing technology. What began as DIURNA, a handwritten bulletin in Rome Before Christ, is now the capital-intensive newspaper industry across the globe. Now we live in the age of media convergence following the addition of electronic and satellite technologies. What agitates our mind to-day is if the print media will lose ground to the electronic media. The apprehension has been that TV and internet are likely to spell doom for the print media. The print media has been able to face and fight challenges so far introducing new features like colour photos, news analyses and also going for convergence. All major newspapers to-day have electronic or web versions. Besides, newspaper groups like The Times of India have also launched TV news channels to retain the audience base and also to expand it with an eye on augmented profit.

How long will the newspapers and magazines will be able to hold sway vis-à-vis the overwhelming presence of TV, the gradual transformation of the Internet into a mass medium with more and more people turning netizens and the growing campaign for a paperless digital world, particularly when environmental considerations demand priority and environmentalists cry foul of deforestation.

Emerging ground realities, though a few, suggest all is not well in the print media world. Over the last two decades, two international newsmagazines NEWSWEEK and TIME have lost ground in circulation. NEWSWEEK sold over three million two decades ago and in 2009 the sale came down to 1.9 million. TIME dipped from 4.2 million to 3.3 million during the period. The shrink is attributed to ruthless news cycle, competition from TV, blogs and social media.

Electronic media like TV and Internet have an edge over the print media. They are instant media capable of presenting news as it is breaking and updating the same from time to time. The audio-visual aspect of TV coupled with animation is attractive to the viewers while Internet offers scope for reading on the computer monitor and having printed version. Blogs and social media available on the net have made the digital world more participatory, exciting and interactive. We are not sure how the print media will hold on in the emerging situation.