In a not-altogether-unsurprising move, and one that seems almost poetic, really, PC Magazine is switching to online only and ditching the print copy.
The move is happening as of February 2009 - subscribers will get the full mag digitally delivered to their inboxes. This move was probably a long time coming - print publication pays beans today. It’s a totally antiquated format - the web allows for instant reporting and immediate gratification. I think that most newspapers should either shut down totally or make the shift entirely to digital. I flip through the Vancouver Sun on my lunch break most weekdays, but the best use I’ve gotten out of that print copy recently was when I used it to protect dishes while packing a few weeks ago. It’s environmentally wasteful and culturally redundant. Craigslist and the like have made classified ads largely obsolete, and there’s nothing I can get in print that I can’t get online (well, apart from the crossword puzzles being a little less satisfying). These aren’t just the self-indulgent ramblings of a bitter and unsuccessful journalist, either. I edited my undergrad university paper for a few years, so I played the game.
I’m staring across Hastings St. at the Vancouver Sun building as I write this critique. That seems almost poetic, too.
Tags: journalism, newspapers, social commentary, vancouver sun
Posted in I like talking | Comments (1)
November 21st, 2008 at 11:57 am
were we not talking about this earlier this week? it’s impacting the photography industry too. magazines are dropping out of business because of the economy and the shift in the use of technology. go digital or go bust. its simple.