Research: Looks good on paper

I read a really interesting article relevant to my essay question, about the resurgence of independent publishing. Interestingly this article claims that as the young generation have been 'raised on digital media' analogue and print media appears to be this new and exciting technology. The fear that the digital age would bring the death of print media has been completely dismissed as we see this desire of the younger generation for the beauty of the physically printed object. The increase in independent publications is sourced, according to the article, in the lack of jobs for young creatives. Those trying to find jobs in the creative industries have found independent publishing as a way of showcasing their talents to potential clients and employers. The digital age is also fueling this revival in many ways. The democratisation of technology has caused for people to crave time away from the screen, as well as the ownership and interaction of print publications. 

Key Quotes:

• "A generation raised on digital media rediscovers the pleasures of the printed page."

• "There's a desire for physical objects," "The way humans interact with a screen is very limited in terms of physicality – you are just touching and swiping. With a magazine, you can cut things out and doodle on it, you can interact in a way that says, 'Humans can do more than just type.'"

• "The amount of time we spend in front of digital screens is a help rather than a hindrance to his business model. "A lot of people these days respond to the idea of being away from the screen, which feels very much like being at work.""

• "Young people are interested again in things that 15 years ago people thought were on the way out because of digital. To them, it feels like new technology because it's unfamiliar." - raised as 'digital natives'. 

• "Visible ownership is very important to magazine buyers, Hinde says. "It can be a beautiful artefact that people can see you reading on the train and it says something about you, your taste and cultural values.""

•  "The internet drives magazine subscriptions while digital software underpins production quality".
• "What I can see is a sea change among the younger generation," "Ten years ago, they all wanted to build a website because it was deemed challenging. Now, they have all got blogs and [microblog] Tumblrs and take all that for granted. They're excited about doing print because they don't understand it."
• Many mainstream publishers have "become spreadsheet-led", he says. "They have been successful money-making machines and the rug has been pulled out from beneath them. A lot of independent publishers are making hay, creating beautiful magazines that people desire and pay quite large amounts for. It's fascinating to watch it develop."

Burrell, I. (2014). Looks Good on Paper. Available: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/press/looks-good-on-paper-forget-tablet-editions-a-new-wave-of-young-independent-publishers-is-producing-9139520.html. Last accessed 19/11/15.