Good Essay On Print And Digital Journalism

If I were an author of children's books marketed towards ages four to eight years old, I would print mostly paper books for the lower portion of the market segment, i.e. four and five year-olds. This is due to the fact that young children are very tactile, and learn better by touching entertainment and learning materials. Thus, paper books fit this criteria, and children will have something that they own, and is relatively portable -- as children's books generally do not require too much space. Furthermore, adults can read to their children -- and bond with them better -- by holding a paper book together, and flipping through the pages. Once the child begins using PCs and tablets in school, a digital format of the children's book may be a better option because of young (6-8 years old) children's tech savvy.
In my estimation, converging media is extremely important in the publishing industry today for a couple of reasons. First, many people -- especially senior citizens -- are more familiar with paper-formatted newspapers and magazines because they grew up with this format, and many elderly either are not tech-savvy or refuse to learn how to use technology for news and other information. Digital media has already overtaken paper formats, with the exception of rural areas. Rural newspapers are often not staffed to prepare digital formats of their newspaper products, and their newspapers are more traditional. Nonetheless, digital media and paper media are converging in the sense that information that was once only available via print is now available in electronic format as well. In many cases, newspapers and publishers have abandoned their paper formats due to cost, and have begun an on-line presence.
I do not think that print is dead, but it is in serious danger of becoming extinct and passé. Print will always be around because there is always a hard copy to back up what is digitally-formatted. Moreover, legal and birth records must be in paper format; therefore, newspapers of record must actually print their issues on paper stock. Because of our long-standing affair with paper format, it will always be around.