The document discusses how social media has impacted the print media industry. It provides background on the history of magazines, noting they originally targeted upper classes but diversified over time into many genres. While magazines disseminated information through physical copies, many have now switched to digital platforms to stay relevant. This switch was necessary for survival as social media allows convenient access to information anywhere. Though print magazines face challenges, some consumers still prefer physical copies, so print media could continue if production adapts to trends.

1. Is Social Media helping or harming
the print media industry?
By: Jacquenya L. Calhoun
SOM 702
12/19/2021

2. Topic Selection: Social Media’s affect on print media- i.e.,
magazines
-Definition: The industry engaged in the printing process of disseminating news through
newspapers and magazine
*The short definition= Journalism
-Since the first circulation of magazines in the 18th century, they have drastically changed
-Now, there are several different companies to publicize information, which allows brand
recognitions and companies the opportunity to find their perfect niche. Finding the perfect
niche further builds brand loyalty and reliance on accurate information

3. -Then vs now: since their creation, the typical method of disseminating information, in
magazines, has changed. Instead of physical copies you might find in a magazine holder on the
side of the couch more magazines have switched to a digital platform
-This switch in production was an effort to stay on top of trends
-If brands didn’t switch to a digital platform, they were facing being forced out of the market
-With so many genres to choose from: news, political health, parenting, cooking, and so many
more. The magazine industry is almost essential for guidance and circulate information
-Being that this is not just a trend, but an actual switch in this industry, it is crucial for the
survival of print media
-The ability to switch also directly affects revenue of production companies

4. History:
-The first magazine was printed in 1741 by Andrew Bradford’s company: American magazine
-Just three days later Benjamin franklin released his version of a magazine entitled General Magazine
-Both appeared in Philadelphia, however neither lasted very long
-Bradford’s lasted three months versus franklin’s who lasted 6 months
-The original magazines were only intended for the upper class, or those that could afford it, hence the
reason content has changed since the first circulation
-Closer to the end of the 19th century there were hundreds of magazines to choose from.
-With so many magazines it was easier for an individual to identify with a brand, allowing publications to
tailor its content to their targeted audience
-It wasn’t until there were cheaper options for purchase, that we began to see more genres appear
-These genres included; general news, children’s, parenting, business, art, cooking, fashion, health,
technology, sports, entertainment, sci-fi, and many more
-Even with such diversification, the industry would be hit hard and begin to see a drastic decline in print
sales with the creation on the internet
-in the beginning communication was considered stationery, but with the invention of handheld internet
devices, this information could be accessed anywhere with ease

5. Pros:
-Magazines are a source of disseminating information
-It provides a place for other companies to advertise their products
Example: Kitchen Aid showcasing their newest gadget for the season inside of a cooking
magazine
-Specialized advertising promotes to a targeted market that is more likely to engage
with a purchase
-Numerous design options further allows for specialization, creativity and pass on brand
exposure
-Printed magazines naturally have a long-life span

6. Cons:
-Due to the nature of demand and subscriptions, some deadlines are unobtainable
-Some companies have a 6-month advancement of storylines, executives are plagued
with predicting what trends are going to be at that time
-With trends changing monthly, if not daily, this poses an issue for executives, since
what is relevant today might not be relevant tomorrow
-Ads, even though they can be beneficial, they also present a financial burden since
preferred placement might not come at a preferred cost
-The most detrimental con to printed magazines is the current digital market
-Everyday use of social channels such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, there are more
convenient ways to get hot topic news

7. Example in Action:
-Some of the more popular platforms that we
saw emerge to provide entertainment were
Apple TVs, Netflix, Hulu, and many more
-Because of the ease of these streaming
platforms, we began to see the decline of
brick-and-mortar locations such as Blockbuster
and Hollywood Movies
-Due to the hustle and bustle of life, streaming
services became the preferred method of
streaming

8. Example in Action:
-Just like movie rental centers, consumers enjoyed the
ability to walk into a physical store to complete their
retail shopping
-Yet, more recently, we have seen more and more
companies downsize, form a merger, or all together
become obsolete thanks to access to the internet
-Unfortunately, suppose a company did not follow the
online shopping wave and dedicate a portion of its
sales to this sector

9. Expert Interview:
Interviewee: Cedric Barnett, Founding Director
Company: WJIC Media Ministries
Established: 2015

10. Bio: Cedric Barnett, Founding Director
If you were to ask our Founding Director, Pastor Cedric Barnett, what two words would most
accurately describe his life, it would be media and ministry. A native of Montgomery, Alabama,
“Pastor Ced” graduated from G.W. Carver High School in 1983, and splitting time between college
and the military, graduated from Auburn University in 2000 with a B.A. degree in Mass
Communications. He is a veteran of both the United States Navy, as well as the Alabama Army
National Guard as a former member of the 151st Army Band. He is married to the former Alicia
Strowbridge of Swainsboro, Georgia, and they have been married for over 28 years. They reside
in Prattville, Alabama, where the ministry is based.
Needing to do an internship, he interned at WMCF-TV (Trinity Broadcasting Network) in the fall
of 2000, and after his graduation, he was hired as a part-time production assistant at WMCF
(TBN) in April of 2002. Working his way up the ranks as production assistant and master control
operator, he was promoted to full-time in June 2006 as he became the station’s automation
systems programmer, a position he held until April 2018. In April 2019, he was asked to become
the interim chief engineer for WMCF, and in July 2019, became the assistant engineer for WMCF-
TV, later adding WMPV (Mobile, AL) and WTJP (Gadsden, AL) to his growing list of duties (all TBN
affiliates).

11. Interview questions:
What social media tools do you use?
-Facebook, Twitter
Who is your targeted audience?
Mainly adults 25+
What are the strengths and weakness of your brand? How does social media directly affect this?
I would say our main strength is our ability to embrace newer methods of using social media, such as
creating our own web pages and apps and putting social media links to those platforms. One such
example would be our Twitter account. Our weakness would probably be the fact that we haven’t yet
embraced other forms of social media, such as Instagram or TikTok
Did Covid19 have any effect on your brand?
If anything, COVID-19 greatly enhanced our brand and numbers, due to the fact that because people
were more isolated, they had more time to tune in to our broadcasting platforms.
What are some lessons you have learned from starting your brand and interacting with social media?
Is there anything you would do differently?
Our initial interactions on Facebook and Twitter have been to be most beneficial: Facebook, due to
the fact that we can interact most directly with the ministries, recording artists, promoters, and
programmers, and Twitter to help us build our audience

12. The Future: Can Print Media continue to survive in a digital Era
- Though the news is needed on a local, national, and even international spectrum, ultimately,
there are so many ways to obtain the same information
-Regardless of the current trend, there will still be some consumers who prefer that things be
done the old fashion way
-No one can predict that eventually there will be no printed magazines, only digital.
-There's not enough evidence to say that the printed demand would be high enough to
sustain print continuation over an all-digital platform
-There has been a drastic dip, in recent months, to certain subscriptions such as Vogue, Star,
Vanity Fair, or Marie Claire
-However, there has also been a steady increase in more thought-provoking subscriptions
such as Prospect, The Spectator, Private Eye, and The Economist
-The trend would show that users prefer reading that contains the substance in the old
fashion way compared to celebrity gossip, which can easily be read and quickly dismissed in a
digital form

13. -To keep from becoming obsolete like Sears or BlockBuster, I believe that magazine
production companies will have to stay abreast of current social trends
-The best thing to do is see how many subscriptions request a digital transcript versus
the subscribers that still prefer a physical copy in hand
-Considering that it takes less time, money, and effort to produce digital print copies,
this might be the best avenue for companies to take
-I would also suggest that the companies create spaces/pages on popular browsing sites
like Instagram or Facebook
-If this was a venture, they were willing to take, they could interact with their consumers
almost daily.
-Even if it was just a small post daily to keep interest, they could then leave the bulk of
the content to be still communicated at a set time

14. * Gaille, B. (2017, January 14). 10 Pros and Cons of Magazine Advertising.
Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://brandongaille.com/10-pros-and-cons-
of-magazine-advertising/
*Malnar, K. (2021, October 13). Social media's impact on the entertainment
industry. Retrieved December 16, 2021, from
https://www.mediatoolkit.com/blog/social-medias-impact-on-the-entertainment-
industry/
*Poncelin, C. (2021, September 16). Harness the power of social media to
anticipate fashion trends. Retrieved from
https://www.heuritech.com/blog/articles/trends-on-social-media/
*Tucker, D. H., Unwin, P. S., & Unwin, G. (1999, July 26). Women's magazines.
Retrieved December 13, 2021, from
https://www.britannica.com/topic/publishing/Womens-magazines
References: