The Future of Print

What will become of print publications? What can they do to stay relevant in the digital age? Ask the right person and you better be ready to strap on your boxing gloves. Everyone from PR folks and everyday readers to reporters and publishers themselves have an opinion on the matter.

 

Fortune Magazine asked 10 influencers in media and tech to look into the future and tell us what they see. Here are a few highlights:

• Kurt Andersen, novelist and public radio host – “Anything remotely resembling news media is going to continue to migrate online until very little or none of it is produced on dead trees.”

• Katharine Weymouth, publisher, the Washington Post, and CEO, Washington Post Media – On charging for online content: “We do not charge for our content on the web and don't have plans to do so. But our content isn't free -- advertisers pay to be in front of our audience.”

• Steven Brill, Founder, The American Lawyer, and co-founder, Press+, an online payment system for news sites – “The online version of news and information in many respects is better than the print version. It gets there faster, it's instantly updated, and often there's video. And yet that improved version doesn't command a premium; in fact, it is free.”

What do you see in the future? Weigh in if you’re brave enough…

– Ali Smith

(photo credit: quinn.anya)