Pitter from Pat
Print is DEAD?
I like the colorful pages; I like scanning all the blurbs and then coming back to the piece that I find most interesting.
Publishing is a tough business. But, there is an old saying among those in the trade—“he/she has ink for blood,” and, I dare say…I fall into that category. There is just something amazing about seeing ink come to life in the form of a printed page.
In my newspaper days, I loved going after the latest story, being allowed to sit in the front row at local meetings designated for “press only,” and finally covering a murder trial that rocked the world of many residents in my average-sized community.
But whether my role is to manufacture the print or just sit back and read some other person’s work, I still enjoy the printed page. That is why I struggle with the rhetoric that bombards the publishing journals and other media that states the printed word is no longer viable. Get your news from the web…the headlines seem to scream. Again, I am not buying it…at least not totally. With 70 million “baby boomers’ out there, I maintain that there are plenty of folks who still enjoy putting up their feet and relaxing with their favorite read, whether it be the news, gardening tips, health facts, or fashion.
I am not immune to this age of technology…believe me I spend my share of the work day glued to electronics—computer, cell phone, digital planners, email, and on and on, and that is exactly the reason why when I sit down to read…I don’t want to look at a computer screen!
I believe that much of the marketing that tries to sell us on the idea that print is dead comes from the younger generation. It’s the 30’s group, fresh at a new job and ready to make their mark on society, who is spreading this propaganda. They are the people who grew up with Myspace, graduated to Youtube, moved on to Facebook, then LinkedIn, and probably on to a zillion other forms of techno-media. So, I do understand that from her/his point of view reading a newspaper or magazine seems antiquated. But also I want them to understand my perspective…I like my magazines, my newspaper, and my hardback book. I like the colorful pages; I like scanning all the blurbs and then coming back to the piece that I find most interesting. I like reading the ads at my leisure rather than having them flash in my face while reading from an electronic screen.
The media play a strong role in our society—shaping people’s thinking and setting the pace. If you don’t believe me, just sit back and listen to people make statements such as “Well, I read”… “Everything is just bad everywhere”…and “They are saying.” My question is…who is saying? The answer is the media, of course. Therefore, if the media say newspapers, magazines, and books are passé, then it must be true. Hey, folks, just because some people who are in charge of marketing believe it, we don’t have to agree. I say, we shouldn’t take the propaganda to heart. I’m for speaking out that we want to continue receiving our newspaper and telling the editors of our favorite magazines that we don’t want to sit in front of a computer to read the next issue. It’s time to let the “wet behind the ears” marketers know that print is not dead, and we don’t want to have to SCROLL to read! Plus, think how boring it would be to wait for a doctor’s appointment without a magazine!
Moreover, when the lights go out and all computer screens are darkened, my flashlight, my book, and I can still find comfort together.
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Patricia Kirby, Editor
Patricia Kirby brings several years of journalism, editing, and publishing experience to Radius magazine. She is a published writer and former co-editor of Hoosier Outdoor magazine, with a distribution throughout the mid-west. Patricia is also a former Editor and Publisher of the Hoosier Topics newspaper, distributed countywide in Putnam County, Indiana, and the Springs Valley Herald, French Lick, Indiana. Her tell it like it is writing style offers humor and a bit of satire in her monthly columns, "Pitter from Pat." She has done extensive traveling, including a month in the Outback of Australia to accompany a study group of Aboriginal tribal music.
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