Digital Formats Draw Large Numbers to Traditional Media


Abc news website

Did you know that night-time television news broadcasts boast an average of 7-10 million viewers, and that, according to the Pew Research Center, digital magazine profits will exceed $2.3 billion in 2015? There is a huge misconception that online news and media is taking the place of print magazines and TV broadcasts, and sometimes even rendering them obsolete. Contrary to popular belief, the internet often complements traditional media, and may, in fact, help increase magazine readership and attract more television viewers.

How Are Television News Broadcasts Changing?

TV news is bringing people the best of the old, and the best of the new. People are more than welcome to enjoy television and its news broadcasts in the traditional manner. Journalist David Pierce, in fact, recommends it, stating that the 20-30 minute programs help present a wide breadth of news in a manageable amount of time.

Furthermore, instead of directly competing with the web, television media groups often use it as a means to offer more details and depth to breaking news stories, and to reach a greater number of people. Some of the very best American news websites combine television and internet news. The ABC news website, for example, provides quick links to video, and to its many television programs, including Good Morning America, 20/20, Nightline, and more. The same ABC news website, however, also offers more modern features, such as a widget listing articles “Trending Now,” interactive slideshows, a live ABC news Twitter feed on-site, and banner advertisements for ABC’s convenient mobile application.

What About Magazines?

Again, instead of hurting magazines sales and revenue, new digital options are actually reviving the medium, and helping the magazine industry bring in more profits and revenue than ever before. The popular magazine The New Yorker raised prices by $20 per subscription, simply by adding digital formats. (Digital subscriptions afford readers certain perks as well, like access to the magazine’s long-standing archive.) Online magazine viewers, and online business magazines, are also increasing revenue in previously untapped markets. Although the majority of print magazine readers are women, digital formats are, for the first time, attracting large numbers of male readers. In fact, according to a 2012 GFK Group study, as many as 77% men using tablets are likely to read digital magazines.

We live in an increasingly digital world. Even so, traditional media continues to make waves, often by teaming up with the internet. Online news websites, like the ABC news website, incorporate social media and other digital trends, while tablets offer new, eye-catching mobile magazines.


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