The Revival of Print
Ask anyone at MUSE, and I can guarantee you that they will all stand behind the incontestable fact that print is far from dead; arguably more alive than ever.
Whoever coined the term, “print is dead,” must have a personal vendetta against permanence, or maybe they’ve never heard Taylor Swift sing, “I can read you like a magazine.” Regardless, they stand incorrect in the claim that society has abandoned interest in tangible copies of magazines and articles, opting instead for digital reads. At the heart of any good magazine lies the ability to hold it in your hands, to flip through the pages, and to create a lasting memory with any and every phrase that personally resonates with its reader. The revival of print isn’t really a revival at all, but rather a rediscovery of the collective interest that has always existed for permanent and tangible media. In my opinion, the undeniable importance that print has on literature enthusiasts alone is enough to keep the industry alive for years to come.
“The revival of print isn’t really a revival at all, but rather a rediscovery of the collective interest that has always existed for permanent and tangible media.”
There is widespread confusion over the claim of the death of print, especially when 53 percent of Canadian magazine readers consume solely through print, with only 6 percent utilizing sole digital methods of magazine consumption. We live in a digital age: it can be understood why the assumption would exist. Nevertheless, the data takes precedence over loose and false claims. There is suitable ground for arguing that media companies have turned towards online methods of delivery for a number of reasons. It is inexpensive to release online articles than it is to print and distribute physical copies. Digital articles can be released as soon as they are written and edited, whereas the timeline for print articles varies between company and publisher.
From an economic standpoint, it makes sense to charge for an online subscription and access to certain articles, rather than for a physical copy. Vogue Business charges $230 USD for their annual membership, with access to global reporting and industry expertise, a sustainability edit newsletter, and executive seminar series, amongst other perks. By offering incentives on top of access to articles, they can entice customers to purchase “the whole package.” The notion of an annual membership ensures steady profit, rather than differences between the release of each monthly edition. This practice neglects the beauty of print and how it encapsulates more than just reading, but rather absorbing the content.
As an avid lover of writing, particularly for online publications, in no way am I attempting to diminish the importance of online work. In fact, I believe that it plays an integral role in the print industry. Online and print have the capability to co-exist, even when they differ in purpose. Print media will never be able to compete with online media in terms of its ability to spread information at instantaneous rates. Although it is vitally important in instances of news coverage, it also allows misinformation to spread rapidly and uncontrollably. From a fake and doctored endorsement by Meghan Markle for anti-wrinkle cream to “3 Reasons Why You Should Stop Eating Peanut Butter Cups” – shared over 207,000 times on Facebook – the rate at which false narratives can spread is incomprehensible and dangerous. (As someone who consumes peanut butter cups as if they’re going out of style, I find this claim particularly repulsive). With all of this in mind, it’s important to remember to maintain some sort of filter when taking the opinion of online articles as fact – a little bit of an ironic statement for the basis of this article.
One of the facets of print publications that I find particularly fascinating and irreproducible within any other comparable forms is the level of permanence and tangibility that exists within physical copies of written word. Having work immortalised in print is incomparable to that of a digital copy, an opinion shared by Gerald Richards, CEO of 826 National. As a non-profit organisation designed to help students improve their creative writing skills, 826 National has identified the different experiences that exist for students learning through print compared to learning through digitized work. "When we watch students with books, there's a very different experience – there's that power of having something physical that they own, particularly when they write and see their name in print: it's always there. With computers, it's gone at the touch of a button." Richards’ students, who mainly come from underprivileged communities, do not always have access to the latest technology and instead rely on books as their main source of knowledge.
“Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.”
If you were to take one look at my bookshelf, there’s no denying the fact that print occupies physical space – a lot of it in my case. Clicking on a link shared via Twitter or visiting an online publication has scientifically been proven to leave less of an impact on the retainability of the content than through the physical copy of information. There is additional competition for the reader’s attention online, especially with the presence of ads and countless links available at the click of a button. The physicality of print solidifies its presence and allows for a more immersive experience when reading it.
I can argue day and night about the importance of print in the experience of reading an article, but it is lost if the print industry is simultaneously destroying the planet while attending to the needs of humans. It is a widely contested fact that a digital presence contributes to lower greenhouse gas emissions, especially when comparing the printing of a magazine to the uploading of an article. This idea has been disproven, especially when it comes to the paper industry. For the most part, the entire lifecycle of paper production can be circular, and in comparison, the production of electronics creates far more environmental consequences than the printing of magazines.
A number of my favourite publications tackle the cause of sustainability within their content. Some notable mentions include “It’s Freezing in LA!,” “Where the Leaves Fall,” and “Emergence.” All of these are available at Issues, a magazine shop located in Toronto that carries hard-to-find, globally-beloved magazines – also happen to be founded by my very talented cousin, Nicola Hamilton. She believes in the immortality of print and has curated her shop towards “the people and projects that keep print alive.” A true icon in the world of print if you ask me – but I’m only a little biased.
Header by: Aglaia Joithe
