The state of print media worldwide is currently under great question due to the rapidly developing internet. Viewpoints on this process vary.
But it's clear that the West is significantly ahead of Russia in terms of internet adoption at the household level. There, it's common for a family to have two or three computers (a large desktop computer, a portable laptop, and a tablet with all the features needed for modern life). Naturally, everyone in the family also has a high-end mobile phone capable of accessing and browsing websites. And against this backdrop, the editorial staffs of most print publications are rushing to carve out their niche online.
This is very advantageous in many ways. First of all, moving a publication online allows for a dramatic reduction in printing costs. In countries like America, for example, there are virtually no black-and-white newspapers—everything is in color and printed at a very high standard. Naturally, this luxury comes at a hefty price for editorial staff. But if readers have a strong interest in the electronic version of the newspaper, it's easier and more cost-effective for the editorial staff to attract the bulk of their subscribers online. And so, the initially free electronic version gradually becomes a paid version.
There are several options. The most common option was previously to send the electronic newspaper in a RAR archive to mailing addresses. Each archive had its own password, which had to be purchased for a certain period. The second option (currently in active use) is to restrict access to the site to registered users only, requiring additional registration. Without registration, you can only access the main page. Additional registration allows you to open the electronic edition of the newspaper. This requires entering the purchased password. It is valid for a month, quarter, or year. The password is unique and fairly complex (numbers, uppercase and lowercase letters).
There are other digital subscription options. But the point is that the digital version of the newspaper allows the editorial team to save significantly on printing costs (the print run of a paper edition can be minimal – it's printed and distributed only to those accustomed to the paper newspaper, with a small quantity also sold to retailers). The cost of delivering the paper edition to subscribers is also significantly reduced.
In Russia, we're a long way from any of this. But the question of whether our print publications will survive is also becoming increasingly pressing. I think they will. But only if editorial boards intelligently restructure their operations and begin preparing for worse now. Circulation will undoubtedly fall sharply across the country. But the internet will only be partially to blame. We have a completely different economic basis for the circulation decline than in the West. There, circulation fell due to the widespread internet penetration of the population and the relatively rapid migration of editorial boards to the internet as a result. Here, circulation is falling due to low purchasing power, rising subscription costs, and a decline in interest in newspapers for a number of reasons. It will be very difficult for editorial boards to avoid collapse in such a situation.
Print media editorial teams will still need to integrate the internet. If only because a website offers the opportunity to expand the reach of advertising. This means editorial teams have a real chance of making money from it. Anyone who fails to raise their website to this level when subscription circulation declines will face a financial crisis for their individual editorial team.
The minimum circulation for survival, given current prices for paper, ink, printing, and newspaper transportation, is three thousand copies. This assumes steady demand for the publication, a good volume of advertising and classifieds, an in-house delivery system (if we're talking about a small town), and some other outside funding (handouts from co-founders). But advertisers know how to count their money, too. And the editorial board's only compromise for them is to allow them to expand their products and services beyond the city or district. It would seem clear and understandable. But when you open another city or district newspaper's website, you realize it's just a show-stopper, a report to a higher authority, and doesn't, and can't, generate a single ruble of revenue for the editorial board in its current form.
So, is the internet a friend or foe to print publications? I think it is. But only for those editorial offices that are willing to cultivate it effectively. How? Here are the simplest ways. Subscriptions to the electronic version are lower than those to the print version. Advertising and announcements are also cheaper in the electronic version than in the print version. When purchasing an annual subscription to the electronic version, users are entitled to a reduced subscription price for the following year.
Of course, there may be other attractive benefits.
