The American Magazine Conference 2012 hopes to quell fears and predictions that the printed aspect to the industry will soon be completely dead. Even in an increasingly digital age, with more customers longing to read the news on their tablets and smartphones, experts agree that the future of print has the capabilities of being bright.
Mary Berner, the CEO of the Association of Magazine Media (MPA), was especially passionate on the topic as she kicked off the AMC, reported the website Folio. Berner said that a consistent conversation filled with “doom and gloom” is only hindering the industry. On the contrary, she added, print can thrive if it has the “balls and chutzpah” to prevail.
Russ Grandinetti, vice president of Kindle Content for Amazon, also spoke at the event and said that digital content can work with printed material in a way that will benefit both customers and businesses.
For example, Grandinetti described the success of a type of long-form journalism, recently highlighted by Christopher Hitchens’ 15,000-word Kindle Single article on Osama bin Laden’s death. The story was available in tablet-form before it was set for print.
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it,” Grandinetti said at the conference. “You’re only going to be constrained by how good your ideas are.”
Pamela Maffei McCarthy, deputy editor of the New Yorker, provided a major takeaway at the conference. She explained that a magazine is essentially a critical mass of writing and pictures. Now, it’s available in a multitude of options, and the crucial aspect is to welcome readers into that world.
The printing industry will continue to survive when companies are able to integrate new technologies and tactics into those that already exist. Staying innovative is essential, as is continuously distributing quality material. Investing in laminating machines or spiral and coil binding materials will ensure that the printed product is professional and stands out in a crowd.
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