Print’s hangin’ in there – and will continue to do so

I was recently flipping through a friend’s People magazine when I stumbled across an interesting – and comforting – advertisement. It was a simple text ad – a bold, two-sentence headline with five short paragraphs – with a powerful message. Young adults (ages 18 to 34), like myself, are the most dedicated readers of magazines, and readership among that demographic is increasing. It equals or surpasses the over-34 counterparts in issues read per month and time spent per issue. A sign that print isn’t dead.

While the Internet has certainly crippled the circulation of major U.S. dailies, it has also enhanced the written word. According to the ad, nearly 22 percent of all new paid magazine subscriptions last year were ordered online. Some people thought the Internet would have entirely demolished print’s existence, but print’s nonetheless surviving.

I’m optimistic that print media will never fully vanish because of the tangible experience you have while holding newsprint, leafing through a magazine or engaging in longer, enterprise-related stories. New media has brought news to us in more ways than ever before, and you can now read articles no matter where you are or what you’re doing. As the new media revolution continues to strengthen in the coming years, the Internet will further energize print because the power of print will never be lost.