VINTAGE REVIVAL, STORY BY MAISIE JOHNSON
THE EVOLUTION OF THE SUIT, STORY BY MAISIE JOHNSON
Friday 25 March 2011
Apple Killed the Journalist.
So if video killed the radio star, then who killed the newspaper? With the infestation of IPads and Kindels oozing into popularity, doubt hangs over the future of print. Originally, it was the daily paper that informed the world of current affairs, however with today’s contemporary technology, our morning paper is already out of date by noon. Online news has become far more practical to the everyday folk. Its constant updating allows readers to catch up with the developments in an instant, plus in most publications, it’s free. So does this spell the death of journalism? Whilst people are steering towards free online reading, will journalism fail as a profession and become just a hobby? If so, we know who to blame. Apple has killed the journalist.
This triggers discomfort in the fate of music magazines. Websites such as YouTube and MySpace have taken the industry by storm in this modern era. But now publications have even more to worry about, with the invasion of additional online databases. Spotify is a website which allows people to explore tracks and albums with other users, resulting in free streaming over the net. Therefore people are now able to form an opinion of an album, before they decide to purchase or not. Using these sites at a penniless cost has damaged the need to buy a music magazine. Due to the internet, reviews in print are almost insignificant, as you can find them on the web without waiting for an issue to be released.
In the 1970’s NME (New Musical Express) was considered the best-selling British music magazine. Published weekly since 1952, it had popular features including the ‘NME Pop Poll’, and was the first publication to contain a UK singles chart. The magazine was the primary source for music fans to learn about bands and current records. Due to the available resources on the net, this sort of content is worthless in twenty-first century publications.
Midway through the eighties, NME had hit a brick wall. As sales were decreasing, the magazine went through a rough patch, and was in danger of closure. The drop in trade was instigated by photographs of hip-hop artists fronting the cover. The lack of direction formed a minor existential crisis in the fate of the magazine’s future. Readers of NME became disinterested by the irrelevant inclusion of politics and crime. After a decade of confusing its readership, the magazine stuck to its niche, focusing on the ‘indie’ genre.
However, to this day, NME’s sales haven’t yet managed to achieve the height of their seventies eminence. The publication has seen a dramatic fall between 2006 and 2010, and although the recession may factor within the drop, it seems unlikely that the magazine will return to its initial popularity.
The necessary need to purchase a music magazine, does not exist in this era of impressive technology. People have lost the incentive to buy print, as they can find information about bands, gigs or interviews in the click of a button. But where is the heart in a website? Flicking through MySpace or a band’s fan page lacks any warmth or excitement, in comparison to picking up a favourite magazine. The smell and feel of print captures something real. That anticipation of turning a page is simply lost on the web. As is the possibility that you may read an article or feature that you wouldn’t have necessarily searched for online. Although, internet journalism provides practicality and speedy information, the sentiment of a physical magazine cannot be found via a website.
The curse of online material suggests the death of music weeklies, as their content focuses on breaking news and upcoming artists. So as people won’t have the need to buy the publication, sales will continue to plunge, until eventually the music weekly becomes a distant memory. As for monthlies, although online is potentially threatening, these publications are far more stable in this digital era. Magazines such as Rolling Stone and MOJO are likely to survive due to their collectable value. Since the majority of their content isn’t searchable online, they have a greater chance of existing in the future.
After the creation of a digital newspaper previously failed to fly, it prompts the question, what is the point? Electronic publications may be the next big thing, but regardless of how lifelike they appear, they will never achieve the sensation of inked print.
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