It’s not every day you see an ad for magazines in a magazine. Sifting through the continued post-Oscar-Bullock-frenzy in the April 19, 2010 issue of Us Weekly, I came upon a spread of Michael Phelps and an inspiring message about the strength of print media. The message is a positive one and surprisingly, rings less with a tone of desperation and more with the soothing sound of confidence that is at the foundation of traditional print publications.
“We surf the Internet.
We swim in magazines.
The Internet is exhilarating. Magazines are enveloping. The Internet grabs you. Magazines embrace you. The Internet is impulsive. Magazines are immersive. And both media are growing.
Barely noticed amidst the thunderous Internet clamor is the simple fact that magazine readership has risen over the past five years. Even in the age of Internet, even among the groups one would assume are most singularly hooked on digital media, the appeal of magazines is growing.
Think of it this way: during the 12-year life of Google, magazine readership actually increased 11 percent.
What it proves, once again, is that a new medium doesn’t necessarily displace an existing one. Just as movies didn’t kill radio. Just as TV didn’t kill movies. An established medium can continue to flourish so long as it continues to offer a unique experience. And, as reader loyalty and growth demonstrate, magazines do.
Which is why people aren’t giving up swimming, just because they also enjoy surfing.”
There are a few assumptions the ad seems to make that may not be completely accurate. For one thing, the ad is specifically posing magazines against the Internet rather than against a computer, e-reader, mobile device or a number of other products that give access to the Internet. If you are reading all the same content on an e-reader that you would be in a magazine, perhaps the argument about magazines providing a “unique experience” needs to be more clearly defined.
But despite these minor disparities, the ad gives life to a media that lately, has gained attention for its rapid demise rather than its innovation and growth. The trend of digital space may push magazines into adding online components and transferring younger audience segments, but they will also grow their niche market of enthusiasts and loyal subscribers. Many of the aspects of print that keep editors up at night (revising, fact checking, misquoting) are the same aspects that create the confidence and stability of print. And while it may not be in the spotlight of growing media, magazines are here to stay.
