Print media has been around for centuries and has become such an integral part of everyday life. It’s pretty hard to come across a person who hasn’t at some point in their life read a book, newspaper or magazine. Everywhere we turn we can see print media being sold and read by many. But 2013 could be the year that this all changes as there has been a lot of talk and speculation that 2013 will be the year the final nail is put in the coffin of print media. There are many reasons why this has been argued, which will now be explored.

Sales Of Print Media Are Dwindling
The fact is less and less people are choosing to buy print media. One of the biggest causes of this is the rise in e-readers and tablets as books, magazines and newspapers can all be downloaded and read on them with a click of a button. For many this is simply far more convenient and cheaper than heading down to their local bookstore or newsagents as they don’t have to leave the comforts of their own home. People also prefer digital format as 1000’s of books, magazines or newspapers can be stored on one small lightweight e-reader that can easily be carried around. This just isn’t possible with print media due to the obvious logistics of it.

Print Media Advertisements Aren’t Making Enough Money
Because sales of print media are becoming less and less as was mentioned in the previous point, companies are spending less and less on advertisements to be displayed in print media. This is because with less people reading them the money generated from the advertisements is minimal. A forecast by Warc produced in August of 2012 stated that ad spending for magazines will decline by 2.1% and by 2.5% for newspapers. This may not seem like a lot but it is a massive hit for these forms of print media as advertisements is where they get most of their money from.
Companies are increasingly moving towards online advertisements instead as they are far more profitable. Statistics, again produced by Warc, projected that money spent on online advertising would increase by a staggering 14.8%. These statistics clearly indicate a decrease in print media in advertisements and an increase in digital and online advertisements. Many have taken this as clear evidence that the days of print media are soon to be over.

But There Is Still Hope
Just because statistics show that less money is being made from advertisements doesn’t necessarily mean print media is now dead. There are many people who much prefer print media over digital media due to the fact they can physically hold it. It’s exactly the same as how a lot of people still purchase vinyls even though you can download music from many different sources. As long as people continue to buy print media, there is still money to be made from it. We also have to take into consideration how long print media has existed for. Is is really rational to believe that it will suddenly just disappear?
Yet the facts are the the internet and digital forms of media are becoming more popular and thus more profitable. We will just have to wait and see to how 2013 pans out for print media.