Digital Publishing News for December 16, 2013
On November 8, The Onion announced that it would stop publishing in print and only focus on its digital channels. On Thursday, December 12, the final print edition of The Onion hit newsstands with its typical satirical glow.
Steve Smith writes, “The entire final issue of The Onion in some way references the booming market for print publications. The lead story heralds The Onion’s own 5,000% jump in print revenues.”
Another front-page story predicts that the digital revolution is another “70 or 80 years away.”
Some will be sad to see The Onion stop publishing print editions, but fortunately the hiliarious satire can still be found on the main website, on the A.V. Club site and the video news program that brings satirizes TV news broadcasts.
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Budget Travel Sees Light at the End of the Tunnel
For Budget Travel Magazine, 2013 involved time in bankruptcy court. The magazine was fighting for survival, even while staff members weren’t being paid over a period of time.
However, due to an increase in digital offerings, including apps, Budget Travel seems to be on a positive trajectory. On Budget Travel, Christine Haughney writes, “It has been making money from display advertising on the website, mobile site and app, and also from the start of its Real Deals retail venture, which lets readers gain access to travel deals and offers. In early 2014, Budget Travel will start publishing videos in partnership with the company DCN Creative.”
Pinterest has been a very positive social network for the magazine, which has attracted more than 4.2 million followers.
Elaine Alimonti, president and publisher of Budget Travel, expects to be profitable in 2014.
Digiday Has Hope for Publishing
Digiday has published the five things that happened in 2013 that should give you hope about the future of the publishing industry.
Brian Braiker writes, “Publishers are figuring out how to do mobile. More and more often, publishers are boasting of a “mobile-first” approach to creating content. A few are even walking the walk — beyond merely instituting responsive design. In September, the USA Today blitzed this high-octane environment with a new mobile-oriented site, The Q, which is churning out stories that average between just 20 and 50 words. The Q is an example of a new kind of site built for the always-on, second-screen era.”
Mobile ad rates will continue to rise as publishers keep making the mobile experience better. Be sure to read Braiker’s four other signs.
Bowlers Journal International Turns 100
The Wall St. Journal has a new report about the world’s oldest sports magazine, Bowlers Journal International. Kevin Helliker writes, “Bowlers Journal turned 100 last month, and marked the occasion by publishing a 300-page commemorative edition “celebrating 100 years of world-class bowling journalism.” It is a milestone few magazines ever reach, and those that do tend to cover topics that never fall out of style.” Helliker’s article explores the current state of bowling as well as BJI’s legacy.
The Hill Hires New Publisher
Adam Prather, formerly of Politico, has been named as the new publisher of The Hill. According to Steve Cohn, Prather has helped with “the development of corporate strategy, new products and employee training, and managing relationships with ad agencies” while at Politico.
