Mary M. Glick on Digital Delivery

What are the benefits of digital delivery for newspapers, magazines, books and other publications?

MG: I think this may be the wrong question because it implies that publishers have a choice: "Let's see. Should I offer my content digitally or just stick with print?"

The fact is that if you want to follow the audience, you must deliver your content digitally. Here at API, we've been talking with forward-thinking publishers who recognize that the real divide isn't between print and digital, it's between the first wave of digital content (web pages, e-mail, search, and all the things we've been doing online for the past 20 years) and the social, real-time web, where content is immediately shared and continuously updated.

The biggest benefit of playing in this web 2.0 world is a more direct and immediate relationship with our audiences, which, done right, can lead to meaningful growth.

Now, if you don't want to follow the audience, you're looking at a different business model built on appealing to a smaller niche that loves the print experience and is willing to pay (a lot more) for it.

What are the drawbacks?

MG: The biggest drawback is that we haven't found a way to make enough digital dollars. The paradox is that the printed publication, which still pays the rent, can act like a ball and chain when it comes to digital innovation. Unless publications are organized for continuous innovation and training or hiring tech savvy workers, keeping up with all the changes will exhaust resources fast. In the companies committed to moving forward, employees can be energized by the possibilities rather than discouraged because the world seems to be passing them by.

We still have considerable investment in printing and print delivery, and that will not go away any time soon. It simply makes us less nimble, and in newspaper publishing, this has opened the door for a number of digital-centric startups that pose a real competitive threat. But there are publishers out there who are seeing impressive growth in digital revenue, year after year ... even in this economy. They invest a little, learn a lot ... over and over again.

In the new "always on," instantly updated media economy, there is also a tendency to rush to publish, threatening the very authority and credibility that audiences value in our brands. But I think this is something we can learn to manage; it's not truly a drawback.

What are the benefits of digital delivery for readers?

MG: You might as well ask, what are the benefits of breathing?

Instant knowledge is definitely a benefit. So is the ability to connect ... immediately and (almost) anywhere ... with a wide circle of friends and fans who share their lives with us and point us to breaking news, fascinating facts, provocative opinion and, did I mention, funny cat videos.

What are the drawbacks?

MG: Am I the only one who needs another four hours in the day to keep up with my prolific social network?

What are the various modes of digital delivery and are there significant differences among them? Is there one particular type of device you think is best?

MG: Research from API associates ITZBelden shows that the iPad is a real game changer. People think it would be cool to have one, and they say they intend to buy one. It's the first portable device that even comes close to delivering the kind of visual, interactive, intuitive experience that audiences will soon demand.

I know people who love their Kindles, and I think they do a great job of replicating the book-reading experience on a screen that gives you access to whole libraries of content in text form. But these first-generation e-readers don't pass the "cool kid test." If you try to envision what the cool kids are carrying, do you see a Kindle? I don't.

To be fair, I can't get the iPad into that picture, either. The iPhone? Yes, that fits, because it's cool and fits into a pocket. But because the iPad lets you create documents, presentations and spreadsheets as well as download your favorite music and share photos with friends, I can absolutely envision cool young professionals using it.

Is this nation at the starting point of digital delivery, in the middle of it or at a sophisticated stage? Is there something important that has to be developed technologically for digital delivery to advance?

MG: We are not even at the starting point yet. We're just warming up!

Do you think digital reading devices can help save failing newspapers and magazines, in that they could send the product to their readers without paying the substantial printing and delivery costs?

MG: I think it's essential to keep up with this technology. That means being able to deliver content on mobile devices and tablets. This is the new square one.

But this delivery method alone will not save failing newspapers and magazines, and that's because the very nature of our relationship with audiences has changed. If publishers recognize this and are committed to learning as much as they possibly can about engaging people in new ways, collaborating wisely with appropriate partners, and serving the needs of the businesses that support them ... in addition to reaching audiences across multiple platforms and channels ... now, you're talking digital future!

Mary Glick joined the executive staff at API in 2001. Previously, she was director of the journalism program at the State University of New York, College at Oswego. She began teaching journalism in 1991 at California State University, Long Beach. In 1994, she was named Outstanding Journalism Educator by the California Newspaper Publishers Association. She has held editorial positions for daily newspapers in Southern California, including posts as features editor for the Star-News in Pasadena, lifestyles editor for Copley Los Angeles Newspapers and copy editor for the Daily Report in Ontario. She holds a bachelor's degree in English from SUNY Oswego and a master's in communications from California State University, Fullerton.