Digital Publishing News for June 18th, 2013
According to PwC, as reported by Subscription Site Central, “the US newspaper industry is expected to decline by 2.5% over the next five years, while the music and consumer magazine industries are holding steady, and the business-to-business information market is expected to grow by 2.5%.”
The 2% adoption rate of digital magazines is expected to soar to 12% by 2017. We said a little something like that in our Tablet Study … just saying.
Tribune Co. Reports Slightly Higher Revenue For 2012
Not all newspapers are tanking though. “Revenues last year reached $3.145 billion, a 1 percent increase for the Chicago-based media company, which emerged from a four-year stay in Chapter 11 bankruptcy on December 31,” reports The Chicago Tribune.
Publishing revenues did decline by less than 1% in 2012 but their circulation revenues we’re up 9%. They cite subscription price increases and the deployment of a digital subscription program as key factors for increased circulation revenues. Now it seems that they just need to work on advertising revenues.
Tribune Co.’s 8 daily newspapers are also currently for sale, valued at $623 million.
Digital Magazine Ad Placements Are Up
While brands may be spending less on print magazines advertisements, spending on digital magazine ads are up from last year. “The magazine industry’s ad spending revenues for print only continue to decline,” reports eMarketer who also estimates “in March 2013 that the format would contract by 0.4%”
eMarketer also reports that from Q1 2012 to Q2013 the number of brands advertising in print, web & iPad magazines rose 246.3% from the previous year. Lower-priced ads in digital magazines may be a motivating factor for brands.
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Fairfax Magazines Closing Three Tech Publications in New Zealand
Fairfax Magazines is ceasing publication of Computer World, Reseller News and PC World in New Zealand next month. The company states the move was driven by the current economic climate.
Fairfax’s GM Lynley Belton says, “as much as we regret having to make this tough decision, we believe it is in the best interest of our long-term success as a producer of quality content for New Zealanders.”
Stop Using Slideshows
Chris Johanesen, VP of Product at BuzzFeed, wants us all to know that slideshows and incessant pagination are evil. “Readers just want their content. They want it presented simply and without it being broken up into small, artificial chunks.”
It’s all about keeping readers happy “because happy readers share”. Publishers need to stop tricking readers into clicking. While you may be able to trick readers to increase your pageviews, he says, “you can’t trick someone into sharing a story with their friends.”
Executives on the Move at New York Times
Rachel Donadio, who has been with the Times since 2004, is now European culture correspondent for the Times and the International New York Times, according to MediaBistro. Jared Bernstein, who worked with President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, will now become a regular contributor to the Times Economix blog, starting yesterday with his first post, The Current U.S. Economy: Text and Subtext.
