Newsweek Digital Move Ruffles Some Feathers

Newsweek goes digital-only in early 2013. Other print magazines claim it’s because Newsweek has been struggling for years; Newsweek says the decision is based on demands from its advertisers and marketers. So is the decision’s catalyst a focus on the future, or a last resort to cut costs? And does it matter in the face of statistics that show digital is clearly where the readers are?

Newsweek is the first national news magazine to move purely in to the digital space, so the move is bound to unnerve some of the other big players. But the investment firms are echoing the call of Newsweek’s advertisers: They’re confirming that news weeklies are the most “obsolete” forms of print in existence. In a world where content has proven to indeed be king, a print format just cannot keep up with reader demands for hyper-fresh, super-accessible content.

Not all print magazines are considering a move like Newsweek; Time magazine quickly went on record to assure its readers that it has no intention of following suit. But for how long? According to Michael Learmonth, digital editor with Advertising Age, “Print will no longer be the main profit driver of anybody’s media empire, but it can remain a pretty prestigious calling card” meaning that though print can lend credibility in a world where digital is available to every would-be publisher, print isn’t where the real money lives.

The key to Newsweek’s success in the digital space will undoubtedly be driven by its content. If the magazine can master creating unique content that users will pay for, it will not only successfully transition to digital – it could dominate the digital space for news weeklies before any of its print-focused counterparts know what hit them.

It’s good to be the king.

Written by Rose Hemlock

Rose is a content strategist with a Business Management degree and eight years of experience in project management, brand development, and social media marketing. Her love for writing fantastic content may only be surpassed by her obsession with 70’s glam rock. Because she doesn’t like to sleep much, she also runs her own boutique international fashion label and plays keyboard in an alternative rock band.