How Long Will It Take for Print Newspapers to Vanish?

Another day I was chatting with my dad about the technological shifts that we are experiencing right now. One of them is the shift from print media towards the digital one. PC Magazine was the first to close the doors of its print publication, in favor of an electronic version of the magazine, starting in January 2009. How fast will the other print publications follow?

My dad is pretty conservative on his estimates, and he said that for at least 20 years ahead we will still see print newspapers and magazines around. I am more aggressive, I said that before 10 years (that is by the end of 2018) the New York Times will already be offering only a digital version of its newspaper.

Maybe we are both right, because the New York Times is not your average newspaper. It’s audience is probably the most tech-savvy one around the world (as far as newspapers are concerned), and they also enjoy a high purchasing power. That means that those readers would be likely to be among the first in line to adopt electronic readers, e-paper and other digital devices that will substitute the print format.

So it is possible that by the time that the New York Times shifts towards a digital format, other newspapers from around the world, and even the smaller publications from around the United States, will still be forced to use a print version.

Anyway the bet is placed. Do you think that by 2018 the New York Times will already have a digital newspaper only?

Daniel Scocco on December 23, 2008 Subscribe to our RSS Feed

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8 Responses to “How Long Will It Take for Print Newspapers to Vanish?”

CJ Harley on December 24th, 2008 3:30 am

I have no estimate or guess as to when print newspapers will disappear. I personally don’t like the idea of doing away with print magazines or books. I like the feel of the shiny pages slipping through my fingers and the smell of a new book.

For my sake, I hope your dad is more right than you.
Suresh on December 24th, 2008 11:38 am

I agree with CJ Harley.
I love to hold the paper and browse through it, while sipping my morning tea. However, the way I see it, the next generation might have no inclination towards the paper and pretty sure this is going to make the green peace people happy. With technology advancing, the good old paper is bound to come to an end, though I don’t see it vanishing in near future, not till the old folks like me still exist on this planet.
Suresh on December 24th, 2008 12:02 pm

I don’t think that vanishing of news paper will happen.Internet is still not reachable or affordable to large percentage of people over the glob.
Bengt on December 26th, 2008 5:31 pm

Considering NYT current financial worries they might have no newspaper at all in 2018:
http://www.alleyinsider.com/20.....-times-nyt

I think printed editions will vanish over time, 2018 seems like a nice bet.
ReidEx on December 29th, 2008 11:49 am

I’d say it all depends on how the current economic crisis will end.

And yes, I agree CJ Harley — I hope your dad is right.

There’s a different feeling you get while reading a newspaper. Not to mention the fact that you can read it anywhere — I used to read the newspaper every day, while on the way to work (via subway).
Lee on December 29th, 2008 6:57 pm

This was too good to pass up. I would advise one more read-through prior hitting the Submit button, were I you. You might catch slips like this

“by the time that the New York Times shits [sic] towards a digital format”
Pinaki Ghosh on February 13th, 2009 5:58 pm

I remember, when I was a teenager, some 20 yrs back (1989), that was the time television news channels were booming in number in our country… I mean, new channels were being born almost every week. I still remember, I had read the column of a famous columnist then, who had predicted (printed) newspapers to die within 5 years from then (ie. 1994). How wrong he was. We still have newspapers in print. Not only so, they have increased in number and circulation from 1989.