Could Tablets Wipe Out Magazines?

     They sit around our houses for weeks on end gathering dust and get passed from person to person. They turn up to meet our friends, they’re with us on long haul flights, in the bath or even whilst curled up on the sofa. Magazines are entertainment, social and informative tools that seep their way into our everyday lives, but could their decreasing sales since the 1950s be down to technology?

    Life seems so swift nowadays thanks to the likes of laptops, smartphones and tablets. But these technological stepping stones are having a disastrous effect on the British magazine industry.

Why Pay for Content?

         Although you might have to fork out for magazines, you cannot deny that they spoon-feed you what you want to read, whether it’s fashion, sport or celebrity news. But one cannot avoid the question of why anyone would willingly pay for reading matter when they can find it online for free.

     Reading is so swift and simple thanks to the internet; there seems little point in waiting for your friend to finish reading a magazine cover to cover when you can both read something simultaneously on a website. Why wait to show someone a news piece or photograph physically when you can share it on their Facebook wall using your ipad in seconds?

         It appears that the majority of the British public, as well as readers abroad have gotten to grips with reading online. Just over 47% of American adults reported that they read some form of news or information on their smart phone or tablet, according to a 2011 survey published by State of the Media and Pew Internet. But what effect does this have on magazine sales?

Technology’s Knock-On Effects

      According to About.com, approximately 84 million iPads had been sold worldwide by the 21st of September last year, which is having a vast knock-on effect to magazine sales in the UK and the world over.

 

         The co-manager of JVM Newsagents in West London, Mala Ranchhoddas, painted an uncertain picture for the future of the print media industry and her own livelihood. In fact, she solemnly told me that her and her husband had been forced to sell their shop because of a huge drop in profits. “Well magazine sales have gone right down to be honest; it’s not what it used to be.” she said. “People just buy what they want to read and get the rest for free online.”

    However, she did pin-point how popular magazine subscriptions remain, proving that some members of the public are willing to pay for reading matter they really relish. “People save money by subscribing.” said Ranchhoddas. “But times have changed; some magazines are more like £4 now!” With these extortionate price tags, it’s no wonder potential magazine readers are being drawn in by the slim, sleek and shiny form of tablets.

Mala Ranchhoddas and her husband

     Alison Clarke, a legal secretary from London expressed sadness towards the idea of print media dying out, and suggested that “Magazines would sell more if they were cheaper, especially because everyone’s hard up financially!”

      A student from Canterbury, Nancy Goldie, attempted to explain the decline of magazine readers in the UK through the concept of convenience, “I suppose everything you need is on them.” she said. She is also of the opinion that there is bleak future in sight for print media; “There'll probably come a time when hard copies of magazines are virtually extinct because we can all access the same information for free, and without leaving our house with tablets. It's kind of ironic that people would rather spend hundreds of pounds on a tablet to read websites than go out and spend a few pounds on a magazine.”

Money, Money, Content

    The Guestlist Network is a free monthly London based publication and website. Its editor and creator, Oshi Okomilo is a street smart, happy-go-lucky chap who seems to have a purple cap permanently attached to his head.

   Oshi explained that by refusing to fall behind by printing yesterday’s news, the publication keeps print media alive and keep their young readers engrossed. “Whatever the form journalism takes, it's all still about content. With developments in technology over the past few years, the demand has been for more content, rather than content of a higher quality.” he said.

   But something the Guestlist Network’s team have grasped is retaining as wide an audience as possible for their work. Although the publication makes use of technological advances, they encourage their young market to read both online content and the printed matter by releasing online exclusives such as video interviews, news pieces and photographs. However, the focus tends to be on the monthly release and they even publish an online version of it on their website that, using Uberflip, actually makes authentic page turning sounds.

    Increased sales of tablets could be decreasing the quality of written media, “You will rarely see an article the size of something from The Times written for an iPad so articles are often shorter.” said Oshi. He explained that readers have become somewhat lazy and want to read the news or about their interests as quickly as possible because of how hectic modern life has become.

Compromise to Survive

   Top-selling magazines such as Glamour and Nuts also combine the technology we’re all embracing and the content they need us to pay for to stay in business. They release a magazine as well as updating an official website and social networking pages throughout the day.  

    Despite the fact that according to WH Smith, between 421 and 602 new magazines are launched every year, to thrive in the industry in the current climate, it seems there is no option for magazines other than to give their readers what they want;  the incorporation of technology.

   Unfortunately, even that doesn’t work on occasion. In December last year, The Daily was shut down after being in circulation for about 2 years. The tablet only publication had been accused by reports of wasting $30 million annually and was forced to dismiss employees. But perhaps their lack of popularity was down to their attempt to blend the traditional print form with the tablet rather than focusing on just one.

        In these financially testing times, magazines and newspapers should be doing anything to keep their heads above water, or copies on shelves. Tablets have severely decreased sales but there is no reason why more publications can’t embrace the current tablet culture as many already do.