I just saw a blog entry on Techcrunch for Engadget's amazing traffic on the day of the iPhone announcement. The best part was this quote:
With massive numbers of readers flocking to blogs when big news is announced, it’s hard to say that mainstream audiences aren’t paying attention. Just about everyone that cares knew exactly what was being announced at MacWorld just moments after it was said, and they got the news from Engadget or another blog. Pictures and video were available real time as well. By the time television and newspapers got to the story, the really interested readers were already on to the next thing.
This last line is what is spelling doom for newspapers and magazines. Time magazine is rumored to be cutting back offline staff and moving efforts (and money) online. If you're not already a bit of a conspiricist about Google then make sure to watch this as well: Googlezon. The idea here is that because the web now provides anyone that wants to know anything multiple ways to know that thing immediately, print media is dead. I remember in Ghostbusters, when Egon is asked by Jeanine if he reads a lot, he replies "print is dead." That was 1984.
Whether its electronic paper or just browsers, this year will continue to be a declining one for print media subscriptions and circulation. Digitize or die.
Update: Time Magazine is offering 6 issues for $1.99. That's not a good sign.
