With the changes in today’s society, the need for new technology and the immediacy of events, the media is under great pressure to deliver. However, most newspapers, magazines and other media are failing to accommodate the needs and desires of their audiences. Emerging technology is enabling the people in our society to interact and communicate in new ways. However, standard news and journalism hindering this movement, thus becoming obsolete. I’ve spoken about the need for new media several times. However, I want to stress the need for new EFFECTIVE media today.
Everyone from large corporations to small businesses are making changes to address to save themselves from debt. However, most of these changes are either not big enough or not the right changes. Time Magazine is perfect example of what NOT to do. Time’s website prefaces many of its articles with the following:
The following is an abridged version of an article that appears in the July 12, 2010 print and iPad editions of TIME magazine.
So now to receive all of the resources and content Time has to offer we may have to go to three separate sources. Time’s print edition offers stories and all print content for $4.99 an issue. While Time’s online edition offers some multimedia, blogs and snippets of stories. Finally, Time’s iPad App offers multimedia content like slideshows, photos, videos, etc. This costs $4.99 as well and includes print content. However, this means we have to pay $500 for an iPad.
Now this is simply too complicated for most of us to understand and keep up with. While, Time may be able to keep some of its loyal readers, young audiences will seek out alternative online magazines that are free. So unless Time alters its model, I do not see it being profitable for much longer.
Here’s a thought? Couldn’t Time spend most of its own time on creating an interactive, thoughtful, useful website with cheap or even free content. Make money with ad revenue. Charge for additional, in-depth content or access to databases. Merchandise on valuable services. Print the paper version of the magazine, sure, but don’t waste so much time and resources on something that is becoming insignificant anyway. Just because the print versions of newspapers and magazines are dying doesn’t mean that the content or the industry has to. Utilize technology.
Nieman Journalism Lab and All Things Digital have also blogged about Time’s decision.