From an email conversation with a colleague yesterday, regarding Gerry McGovern's article, "The Twilight of Print."
She: "I was really sad when I read the following: 'Print content is often leisurely and flowery. Web content is lean and pared to the bone. Often, the best web content is not a sentence at all, but rather a descriptive link.' I still think we need to cater to those who are not into lean and pared to the bone and like leisurely and flowery sometimes -- and complete sentences... I know we live in a society that is on overload and needs to get information quickly. But maybe because I am older, I still like to be able to hold a piece of paper in my hands and read it at my leisure without having to be at a computer monitor. I like my morning paper and a cup of coffee in my easy chair -- especially on Sunday mornings...
Me: "I'm not sure books and magazines are going away anytime soon. People do like to hold them in their hands, and there will always be those who want to savor "leisurely and flowery" language. Not to mention those who want to read in bed or take a magazine to the beach -- a laptop just isn't as conducive to that kind of reading. I have experimented with reading books on my Palm, and while it's convenient for traveling or commuting, it's not what I want to curl up in my reading nook with.
"That said, I do think newspapers and many other types of print info -- newsletters, catalogs, brochures -- are going to increasingly fade away. (They already are.) The costs of printing them are too expensive compared with putting them online. Not just economic but environmental costs. Look at sites like New West -- I think that is the future of journalism. I also think that attention spans for this kind of "need to know" information are getting shorter and shorter. When people go to a website, they want specific information and they want it now. They want to be informed, but they don't necessarily want every nuance. Think about going to a site like WebMD -- you want info on your symptoms and how to get relief. You don't want flowery then.
"I wouldn't worry too much about your Sunday morning newspaper ... yet. :-) "
4 Comments:
I think there's still a demand for print products. Not everyone enjoys reading things on the web -- many like their newspapers delivered to their door, to to grab one with coffee. And I don't actually like the online versions of any of my favourite magazines. I'd rather buy an issue and pore through it at my leisure. I even like the ads.
And as someone who spends a LOT of time online, I think this says something for the longevity of print.
Everyone is always saying things are about to be dead. But look at Keith Richards!
I also don't think web content is as streamlined as indicated here. I think some of it is, certainly, but so is a great deal of print material. It seems like web content is never edited as effectively, actually, and anyone who has ever been on LiveJournal knows that the web is full of self-indulgent prattle.
But that's just my two cents. :)
Everyone is always saying things are about to be dead. But look at Keith Richards!
Good point! :-)
I think it's important to realize that Gerry McGovern is speaking about commercial websites. Most companies would do well to focus less on flowery prose and more on helping their customers accomplish their goals. But there are a million other types of sites -- blogs, for example -- where leisurely prose is appropriate and expected.
And I agree -- much as I enjoy the Martha Stewart website, I'd be heartbroken if MS Living magazine quit printing.
A recent issue of Mother Jones (which I read regularly in print, but I don't know that I have ever necessarily visited their website!) discussed this very issue.
Correction: after I typed that, I thought to myself, "Hey, maybe the article is available online!" and lo and behold, here it is:
http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2007/03/breaking_the_news.html
Interesting article. Deregulation issues aside, what I know of newspaper companies suggests an increasing importance placed on profitability over quality journalism. This is a sad trend.
I don't think the word "news" has to be followed by "paper" to represent serious reporting, but I do think the values of traditional journalism are far too precious -- and crucial to democracy -- to let slip away.
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