Sunday, March 22, 2015
Why Journalists are Not Happy These Days
From: http://www.freeportpress.com/why-journalists-are-not-happy-these-days/
Why Journalists Are Not Happy These Days
March 19, 2015David Pilcher
The hallmark of good technology is that it makes our lives easier, more enjoyable and therefore makes us happier. So why are so many journalists saying that working in this digital tech-heavy age is harder than ever?
“According to the survey of North American journalists and media professionals released today, 68% of journalists feel that their job has become more difficult in the last 5 years,” notes this article from Talking New Media.
The article cites results from a survey conducted by ISEBOX.com that showed “an overwhelming number of journalists and media professionals are unhappy with how they are approached by corporate communications, resulting in working longer hours and increased frustration.”
“There seems to be a major gap between what reporters need, and how corporate communications are providing these needs,” says Salvatore Salpietro, CTO of ISEBOX.com in the TNM article.
“There is increasing pressure to gain earned media coverage by corporate communications and public relations teams, yet they are still making the process very difficult for media to access content and put together a story by using things like FTP, email, locked-down websites, and manual requests – all of these are enthusiasm-killers,” Salpietro continued.
With the growing focus on multi-media content, journalists are still finding that most pitches from corporate communications departments and PR agencies do not offer images, videos, graphics or even corporate logos, leaving the reporter to scramble to put it together.
“If a pitch doesn’t contain graphics I can include with my article, it’s hard for me to take it on. Even better if there is a video. I am under strict deadlines to produce at least 5-7 articles a day, and visual content is always required. Wasting hours sourcing and editing a company’s logo or media content to accompany a post is something I literally cannot afford,” says Karen Fratti, freelance writer for Mediabistro and Huffington Post.
“When a pitch comes with everything attached, no cumbersome downloads, I want to hug that PR rep. And, I’m more likely to pick up on the next release from them, too,” she says.
Next time you make a pitch, do the journalist and yourself a favor and tuck in the multi-media content they need with your email. Content, baby, content.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Digital Shift the Only Way to Save Some Newspapers
From eReader: http://goodereader.com/blog/digital-publishing/digital-shift-the-only-way-to-save-some-newspapers
Digital Shift the Only Way to Save Some Newspapers
March 9, 2015 By Mercy Pilkington 0 Comments
With all of the focus on making the transition to digital and how that is helping news outlets and periodicals alike, it’s easy to overlook the fact that it’s not just about increasing ad revenue or reaching subscribers where they read. For some outlets, it will mean the difference between closing their doors and keeping a centuries-old institution alive.
In an article for DelawareOnline, Scott Goss highlighted the struggles of the 133-year-old University of Delaware student weekly newspaper, a tradition at the university that has seen circulation drop from 10,000 subscribers to only 2,000, and advertising drop significantly.
“You come into this role and you see it as an editorial job,” said Elizabeth Quartararo, The Review‘s editor-in-chief, to Goss. “You don’t expect that it’s going to require a lot of business savvy or that you’re going to have to make real business decisions that could affect what the paper looks like five or 10 years from now.”
Before considering a switch to being a digital-only imprint, a move that still hasn’t been confirmed due to the long-standing history and sentimental value of the print edition, Review staffers even attempted a crowdfunding campaign to bring enough donations to keep the paper in operation in its current form.
If it serves as any consolation to the staff and to university administrators who will make the ultimate decision to continue funding the effort or not, this issue is in no way limited to this particular paper. Apart from the multiple news outlets who’ve already adopted digital in some large-scale way, universities around the country are also making the transition to digital, whether it’s for campus news, student magazines, alumni reports, or any other similar publication. According to Goss, “Many former dailies, such as Boston University’s Daily Free Press and the University of California Berkley’s Daily Californian, are now printing fewer days a week…The Columbia Daily Spectator, the student newspaper of Columbia University in New York, completed a successful transition to an all-digital product last spring, when it became the first Ivy League school to eliminate its print edition.”
Unfortunately, the switch to digital also carries with it a built-in flaw, which is that subscribers expect to read digital at a lower price–hence a lot of the argument between booksellers and publishers over ebook pricing–and advertisers expect to pay less for digital ad space. While the costs associated with producing a digital edition are minimally lower due to eliminating the print, production, and distribution costs, that expense is usually nominal compared with the salaries of the people who are writing and editing the content and producing the layout. That expense didn’t diminish just because the reading format has changed.
Digital Shift the Only Way to Save Some Newspapers
March 9, 2015 By Mercy Pilkington 0 Comments
With all of the focus on making the transition to digital and how that is helping news outlets and periodicals alike, it’s easy to overlook the fact that it’s not just about increasing ad revenue or reaching subscribers where they read. For some outlets, it will mean the difference between closing their doors and keeping a centuries-old institution alive.
In an article for DelawareOnline, Scott Goss highlighted the struggles of the 133-year-old University of Delaware student weekly newspaper, a tradition at the university that has seen circulation drop from 10,000 subscribers to only 2,000, and advertising drop significantly.
“You come into this role and you see it as an editorial job,” said Elizabeth Quartararo, The Review‘s editor-in-chief, to Goss. “You don’t expect that it’s going to require a lot of business savvy or that you’re going to have to make real business decisions that could affect what the paper looks like five or 10 years from now.”
Before considering a switch to being a digital-only imprint, a move that still hasn’t been confirmed due to the long-standing history and sentimental value of the print edition, Review staffers even attempted a crowdfunding campaign to bring enough donations to keep the paper in operation in its current form.
If it serves as any consolation to the staff and to university administrators who will make the ultimate decision to continue funding the effort or not, this issue is in no way limited to this particular paper. Apart from the multiple news outlets who’ve already adopted digital in some large-scale way, universities around the country are also making the transition to digital, whether it’s for campus news, student magazines, alumni reports, or any other similar publication. According to Goss, “Many former dailies, such as Boston University’s Daily Free Press and the University of California Berkley’s Daily Californian, are now printing fewer days a week…The Columbia Daily Spectator, the student newspaper of Columbia University in New York, completed a successful transition to an all-digital product last spring, when it became the first Ivy League school to eliminate its print edition.”
Unfortunately, the switch to digital also carries with it a built-in flaw, which is that subscribers expect to read digital at a lower price–hence a lot of the argument between booksellers and publishers over ebook pricing–and advertisers expect to pay less for digital ad space. While the costs associated with producing a digital edition are minimally lower due to eliminating the print, production, and distribution costs, that expense is usually nominal compared with the salaries of the people who are writing and editing the content and producing the layout. That expense didn’t diminish just because the reading format has changed.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
LifeWay Research Surveys Christian Media's Reach
Christian media's reach surveyed by LifeWay Research
by Bob Smietana, posted Wednesday, February 25, 2015 (an hour ago)
NASHVILLE (BP) -- Christian broadcasters have a devoted following, with about two-thirds of weekly churchgoers and evangelicals saying they tune in to Christian radio and television on a regular basis.
Christian books have a reach among churchgoers and evangelicals, and Christian movies remain popular, with about four in 10 Americans having seen one in the last year.
But many Americans never connect to Christian media.
Those are among the findings of a new study on the use of Christian media from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. The study, sponsored by the National Religious Broadcasters, included an online survey of 2,252 Americans and a phone survey of 1,009 Americans.
"Christian media delivers teaching, music and entertainment to a predominantly Christian constituency," Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research, noted. "Not surprisingly, those who embrace Christian teaching will value and consume these the most." Stetzer released the study's findings Feb. 25 during the NRB national convention in Nashville.
This is an excerpt. To read the entire article, click here.
by Bob Smietana, posted Wednesday, February 25, 2015 (an hour ago)
NASHVILLE (BP) -- Christian broadcasters have a devoted following, with about two-thirds of weekly churchgoers and evangelicals saying they tune in to Christian radio and television on a regular basis.
Christian books have a reach among churchgoers and evangelicals, and Christian movies remain popular, with about four in 10 Americans having seen one in the last year.
But many Americans never connect to Christian media.
Those are among the findings of a new study on the use of Christian media from Nashville-based LifeWay Research. The study, sponsored by the National Religious Broadcasters, included an online survey of 2,252 Americans and a phone survey of 1,009 Americans.
"Christian media delivers teaching, music and entertainment to a predominantly Christian constituency," Ed Stetzer, executive director of LifeWay Research, noted. "Not surprisingly, those who embrace Christian teaching will value and consume these the most." Stetzer released the study's findings Feb. 25 during the NRB national convention in Nashville.
This is an excerpt. To read the entire article, click here.
Thursday, February 12, 2015
Only 54 percent of Americans read a book in 2014
NEA: Only 54 percent of Americans read a book in 2014
Written by Shawn A. Akers
Thursday, 12 February 2015 09:00 AM EST
reading-a-bookThe statistics may be shocking to some. But according a study done by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nielsen research firm, only 54 percent of Americans read a book of any kind last year, print or digital.
The “Decade of Arts Engagement” survey, which included 37,000 Americans, also revealed that the number of adults who read at least one novel, play or poem within the past year fell from 50% in 2008 to 47% percent in 2012. Thirty years ago, that number was at 56%.
Additionally, the survey revealed that the decline in fiction reading occurred mostly among white Americans—including men and women of various educational backgrounds—but the rates held steady among non-white and Hispanic groups.
Similar to newspapers, sales of print books are on a down slope. Fiction sales have suffered more than those of nonfiction. The sales of e-books have somewhat offset that trend, with 28% of adults reading in e-book in 2013, up 23% percent from the previous year, as reported on marketwatch.com.
Elizabeth Birr Moje, an education professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, believes the dip in fiction reading could simply be temporary.
“We have to be careful about making too much of changes from one point in time to another in examining [a] social phenomenon,” Moje told marketwatch.com.
Author Christopher Sorrentino told Dennis Abrams of publishingperspectives.com that biographies and self-help books could have a “certain utilitarian appeal.”
Market Watch’s Quentin Fottrell speculates that simple narcissism could also be a major contributor to the drop in the popularity of fiction.
“Americans may be more fascinated with their own lives than with those featured in great works of literary fiction,” he wrote. Fottrell pointed out that 56% of Internet users have Googled themselves.
According to a 2013 report by eMarketer, Americans spend 23 hours each week using social media, emailing and texting, to go along with easily accessible entertainment such as online gambling, music and movie and TV sites such as Hulu and Netflix.
At MarketWatch, Quintin Fottrell broke down the results of a new survey by the NEA along with research by the marketing firm Nielsen to determine what exactly Americans are reading and how it breaks down by gender.
Some of the results:
The number of adults who read at least one novel, play or poem within the past year fell from 50% in 2008 to 47% in 2012, according to a new survey of over 37,000 Americans, “A Decade of Arts Engagement” by the National Endowment for the Arts. (Thirty years ago, that number was at 56%.)
While reading fiction rose from 2002 to 2008, it’s been falling off ever since, and is now back down to 2002 levels. According to Fottrell, “The decline in fiction reading last year occurred mostly among white Americans, including men and women of various educational backgrounds; rates held steady among non-white and Hispanic groups,” according to the report.
Perhaps not surprisingly, men read more nonfiction than fiction; women read more fiction than men. Young adults are also more likely to read fiction than nonfiction, while Americans aged 75 and older are more likely to read nonfiction.
There were state by state differences as well. In Washington, 63% read literary fiction, dropping down to 56% in Colorado, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with just 37% in Nevada, 36% in Virginia, and … 34% in Alabama.
A mere 54% of Americans read any kind of book last year, be it print or digital, fiction or nonfiction. But fiction has seen the greatest drop in sales, according to Nielsen. While adult print book sales fell 2.5% to around 501.6 million from 2012 to 2013, non fiction sales were stable at 225.2 million; fiction sales dropped 11% to just 103.5 million. Poetry saw the sharpest decline in readership of any “literary genre,” falling from 12% to just 6.7%, according to the NEA.
But why the drop in fiction sales? Author Christopher Sorrentino speculated that biographies and self-help books could have a “certain utilitarian appeal. “Who wants to spend two weeks reading a novel that you might not like much?” he asked Fottrell.
And in an era of social media, it’s more and more difficult to “bond around the water cooler” to talk about a novel. Sorrentino pointed out that while there are thousands of novels published every year, only “a few hundred” get noticed, even by a “discerning reading public” either through newspaper reviews or celebrity endorsements. And while there are those occasional books that do go water cooler cool such as Gone Girl or Fifty Shades of Grey, “It’s really hard to read William Faulkner and go into the office and say, ‘What did you think of that last chapter of Light in August?’ In addition, he pointed out; people who might normally be attracted to novels can get fictional narratives complete with “complex characters” on cable TV.
Another possible explanation for the drop in popularity of fiction, Fottrell speculates is simple narcissism: “Americans,” he writes, “may be more fascinated with their own lives than with those featured in great works of literary fiction.” 56% of Internet users, he points out, have Googled themselves.
Then add to that self-interest the wide array of easily accessible entertainment, such as online gambling, music, and movie and TV sites such as Hulu and Netflix (according to a 2013 report by eMarketer, Americans spend 23 per hours each and every week ‘using social media, emailing and texting”), it’s a wonder that anybody has time to read anything at all.
To read the entire article, click here.
Written by Shawn A. Akers
Thursday, 12 February 2015 09:00 AM EST
reading-a-bookThe statistics may be shocking to some. But according a study done by the National Endowment for the Arts and the Nielsen research firm, only 54 percent of Americans read a book of any kind last year, print or digital.
The “Decade of Arts Engagement” survey, which included 37,000 Americans, also revealed that the number of adults who read at least one novel, play or poem within the past year fell from 50% in 2008 to 47% percent in 2012. Thirty years ago, that number was at 56%.
Additionally, the survey revealed that the decline in fiction reading occurred mostly among white Americans—including men and women of various educational backgrounds—but the rates held steady among non-white and Hispanic groups.
Similar to newspapers, sales of print books are on a down slope. Fiction sales have suffered more than those of nonfiction. The sales of e-books have somewhat offset that trend, with 28% of adults reading in e-book in 2013, up 23% percent from the previous year, as reported on marketwatch.com.
Elizabeth Birr Moje, an education professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, believes the dip in fiction reading could simply be temporary.
“We have to be careful about making too much of changes from one point in time to another in examining [a] social phenomenon,” Moje told marketwatch.com.
Author Christopher Sorrentino told Dennis Abrams of publishingperspectives.com that biographies and self-help books could have a “certain utilitarian appeal.”
Market Watch’s Quentin Fottrell speculates that simple narcissism could also be a major contributor to the drop in the popularity of fiction.
“Americans may be more fascinated with their own lives than with those featured in great works of literary fiction,” he wrote. Fottrell pointed out that 56% of Internet users have Googled themselves.
According to a 2013 report by eMarketer, Americans spend 23 hours each week using social media, emailing and texting, to go along with easily accessible entertainment such as online gambling, music and movie and TV sites such as Hulu and Netflix.
At MarketWatch, Quintin Fottrell broke down the results of a new survey by the NEA along with research by the marketing firm Nielsen to determine what exactly Americans are reading and how it breaks down by gender.
Some of the results:
The number of adults who read at least one novel, play or poem within the past year fell from 50% in 2008 to 47% in 2012, according to a new survey of over 37,000 Americans, “A Decade of Arts Engagement” by the National Endowment for the Arts. (Thirty years ago, that number was at 56%.)
While reading fiction rose from 2002 to 2008, it’s been falling off ever since, and is now back down to 2002 levels. According to Fottrell, “The decline in fiction reading last year occurred mostly among white Americans, including men and women of various educational backgrounds; rates held steady among non-white and Hispanic groups,” according to the report.
Perhaps not surprisingly, men read more nonfiction than fiction; women read more fiction than men. Young adults are also more likely to read fiction than nonfiction, while Americans aged 75 and older are more likely to read nonfiction.
There were state by state differences as well. In Washington, 63% read literary fiction, dropping down to 56% in Colorado, Rhode Island and Connecticut, with just 37% in Nevada, 36% in Virginia, and … 34% in Alabama.
A mere 54% of Americans read any kind of book last year, be it print or digital, fiction or nonfiction. But fiction has seen the greatest drop in sales, according to Nielsen. While adult print book sales fell 2.5% to around 501.6 million from 2012 to 2013, non fiction sales were stable at 225.2 million; fiction sales dropped 11% to just 103.5 million. Poetry saw the sharpest decline in readership of any “literary genre,” falling from 12% to just 6.7%, according to the NEA.
But why the drop in fiction sales? Author Christopher Sorrentino speculated that biographies and self-help books could have a “certain utilitarian appeal. “Who wants to spend two weeks reading a novel that you might not like much?” he asked Fottrell.
And in an era of social media, it’s more and more difficult to “bond around the water cooler” to talk about a novel. Sorrentino pointed out that while there are thousands of novels published every year, only “a few hundred” get noticed, even by a “discerning reading public” either through newspaper reviews or celebrity endorsements. And while there are those occasional books that do go water cooler cool such as Gone Girl or Fifty Shades of Grey, “It’s really hard to read William Faulkner and go into the office and say, ‘What did you think of that last chapter of Light in August?’ In addition, he pointed out; people who might normally be attracted to novels can get fictional narratives complete with “complex characters” on cable TV.
Another possible explanation for the drop in popularity of fiction, Fottrell speculates is simple narcissism: “Americans,” he writes, “may be more fascinated with their own lives than with those featured in great works of literary fiction.” 56% of Internet users, he points out, have Googled themselves.
Then add to that self-interest the wide array of easily accessible entertainment, such as online gambling, music, and movie and TV sites such as Hulu and Netflix (according to a 2013 report by eMarketer, Americans spend 23 per hours each and every week ‘using social media, emailing and texting”), it’s a wonder that anybody has time to read anything at all.
To read the entire article, click here.
Friday, January 23, 2015
Sports Illustrated Lays Off All Photographers
By Donald R. Winslow
© 2015 News Photographer magazine
NEW YORK, NY (January 23, 2015) – The remaining six staff photographers at Sports Illustrated magazine were all laid off yesterday.
Staff photographers Robert Beck, Simon Bruty, Bill Frakes, David E. Klutho, John W. McDonough, and Al Tielemans were informed of the decision around noon Eastern time on Thursday.
Sports Illustrated director of photography Brad Smith confirmed the move this morning to News Photographer magazine.
"It's true," Smith said. "There was a decision made through the company to restructure various departments, including at Sports Illustrated. Unfortunately economic circumstances are such that it has cut the six staff photographers."
Smith said the plan going forward is "to re-evaluate what's best for the magazine, not just financially but also content-wise. Our commitment to photography is as strong as ever, and we will continue to create the best original content possible."
As early as last summer there were rumors of pending staff cuts at Sports Illustrated as well as at other Time-Life publications because of the company's plan to move this year into new quarters downtown. The new floorspace is considerably smaller, and it will seat far fewer people. The magazines are moving because they can no longer afford the rent where they are, one of the magazine's contributing photographers was told by an SI editor.
Smith said the six staff photographers "have contributed to the success of the magazine and the Sports Illustrated franchise, and I hope that they may continue to do so under slightly different circumstances." He said that while the six are no longer staff photographers, that does not preclude them for continuing to shoot for the magazine if they so desire.
"In my grandest thoughts I hope they will continue to contribute to the magazine," Smith said. "I can't imagine a world where they don't. We just have to figure out what this new structure is."
Smith said Sports Illustrated isn't planning on changing what they do, just the process.
"Our commitment to photography hasn't changed," he said. "We're still going to cover games, we're going to shoot portraits, we're going to cover Olympics, we'll be at the Final Four, we will be at championships, we'll be there."
The bad news for Sports Illustrated photographers comes less than 12 hours after many sports shooters were in Manhattan for the premier of the ESPN film "Keepers Of The Streak," a new documentary about four photogrpahers who have shot every Super Bowl since its beginning.
© 2015 News Photographer magazine
NEW YORK, NY (January 23, 2015) – The remaining six staff photographers at Sports Illustrated magazine were all laid off yesterday.
Staff photographers Robert Beck, Simon Bruty, Bill Frakes, David E. Klutho, John W. McDonough, and Al Tielemans were informed of the decision around noon Eastern time on Thursday.
Sports Illustrated director of photography Brad Smith confirmed the move this morning to News Photographer magazine.
"It's true," Smith said. "There was a decision made through the company to restructure various departments, including at Sports Illustrated. Unfortunately economic circumstances are such that it has cut the six staff photographers."
Smith said the plan going forward is "to re-evaluate what's best for the magazine, not just financially but also content-wise. Our commitment to photography is as strong as ever, and we will continue to create the best original content possible."
As early as last summer there were rumors of pending staff cuts at Sports Illustrated as well as at other Time-Life publications because of the company's plan to move this year into new quarters downtown. The new floorspace is considerably smaller, and it will seat far fewer people. The magazines are moving because they can no longer afford the rent where they are, one of the magazine's contributing photographers was told by an SI editor.
Smith said the six staff photographers "have contributed to the success of the magazine and the Sports Illustrated franchise, and I hope that they may continue to do so under slightly different circumstances." He said that while the six are no longer staff photographers, that does not preclude them for continuing to shoot for the magazine if they so desire.
"In my grandest thoughts I hope they will continue to contribute to the magazine," Smith said. "I can't imagine a world where they don't. We just have to figure out what this new structure is."
Smith said Sports Illustrated isn't planning on changing what they do, just the process.
"Our commitment to photography hasn't changed," he said. "We're still going to cover games, we're going to shoot portraits, we're going to cover Olympics, we'll be at the Final Four, we will be at championships, we'll be there."
The bad news for Sports Illustrated photographers comes less than 12 hours after many sports shooters were in Manhattan for the premier of the ESPN film "Keepers Of The Streak," a new documentary about four photogrpahers who have shot every Super Bowl since its beginning.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Books are Back
From BookBusiness. The original article may be found at http://www.bookbusinessmag.com/aggregatedcontent/paper-is-back-why-real-books-are-rebound?e=tdwhite@bmhbooks.com#utm_source=publishing-business-today&utm_medium=enewsletter_headline_story3&utm_campaign=2015-01-21
All hail paper, the book reading technology resurgent. Eight years after the first Amazon Kindle and five years since the first Apple iPad, lowly pressed wood pulp is on the rebound.
The consequence looks more like co-existence than conquest. For now.
The latest numbers for 2014 book sales tell a surprising tale. Nielsen BookScan, which tracks what readers are buying, found the number of paper books sold went up 2.4% last year, including at Amazon and all types of bookstores.
As Publishers Weekly puts it, “the 2014 figures are further evidence that print books are selling better than they have since sales of eBooks exploded in 2010.” The paper tome apparently hit rock bottom in 2012, but has since rallied in categories from children’s books to adult non-fiction, and formats from trade paperback to hardcover.
Students, too, are rediscovering paper. Several studies – including one by tech-centric Hewlett-Packard – find a strong preference for printed textbooks, notably among those in college who have tried both types. In the HP survey, 57% preferred print; only 21% preferred an eTextbook.
At the same time, eBooks have hit a plateau of sorts. Growth in revenues, according to the Association of American Publishers, was a mere 3.8% in 2013 compared to “unprecedented” growth in 2012. The first three quarters of 2014 showed another nice, modest uptick of 5.6%.WonderworldScienceinside
Depending on whose stats you believe, eBooks that people actually pay for have settled in to represent slightly more than a quarter (27%) of all U.S. book sales, and perhaps up to a third (self-published author direct sales are harder to measure, and freebies are, well, not paid).
Why the pushback against pixels? It may be a combination of how we’re wired, and where eBooks and their devices still fail to connect with readers.
Multiple studies find that we pitiful humans seem to read differently when given the same text on a screen instead of on a page – and are distracted more easily – so less of what we read sticks. Researchers at James Madison University, for one, suspect that readers skim eBook pages quickly and repeatedly, while eye-tracking software shows paper books are read line-for-line. The result is that grokking the content of eBooks “takes longer and requires more effort to reach the same level of understanding.”
Then add distractions. Lots of eBooks aimed at kids are chock full of animations, games and other digital delights. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop found young kids recall a lot less of the eBook narrative than kids who read print versions of the same story. Another study found young readers frequently skip eBook text, period, and move to the “fun” stuff.On a tablet I can be constantly tempted, and pulled away from losing myself in the book, by notifications of incoming email, status updates, direct messages and Words With Friends moves.
For those of us who are older, there is the Facebook Factor. I know I’m not the only one who discovered that the downside of moving from a dedicated Kindle eReader to a Kindle Fire tablet is I now can be constantly tempted, and pulled away from losing myself in the book, by notifications of incoming email, status updates, direct messages and Words With Friends moves.
Non-intuitive tools
If I were to ask how you’d remember a page or a passage in a paper book, you’d look at me as though I were an idiot. You’d grab a pen or highlighter – two familiar tools that are used for more than reading – and mark the words or scribble in the margins. Or just dog-ear the page, a simple, quick physical motion.
By DBGthekafu [GPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html)], via Wikimedia CommonsFor eBooks, you actually have to figure out under which menu the right tool is, how to use it, what its limits are (can I export? save across devices?) and then finally apply it. And, unlike a real thumb or ink pen, how that tool works can vary by platform.
Take the faux sticky note. One study from Ryerson University noted that readers felt they had to “remember to purposely search for the electronic sticky note, in contrast to the easily observable paper sticky note.”
Yes, eBook tools are better than they used to be. But my pen remains mightier than your silicon.
Human factors
I’m not going to soft-pedal this: Some people still like the feel of a book, the heft of a book, even the smell of a book. It has a UI and UX with centuries of refinement. For some types of reading, the physical act of opening a thick cover and listening to the whispered crackle of spine and pages is part of the enjoyment.
For some types of reading, the physical act of opening a thick cover and listening to the whispered crackle of spine and pages is part of the enjoyment.
There is also brilliant, large cover art and the ever-present reminder that you own a book, not because it shows up in a text list or thumbnail art when you log in to your Kindle inventory, but because it’s in your face, on a shelf, where you and others nearby can bask in it.
Oh. About ownership. Recall Amazon’s ability to modify or remove an eBook without a buyer’s permission? The Ryerson study concluded that readers perceived digital content as less permanent. Physical books were under their, not “publishers or IT developers,” control.
Plus, the whole how-backlit-screens-can-interfere-with-sleep thing.
This isn’t to say all is rosy for paper books. The biggest damage in 2014 was the continued slide in mass market paperback sales, down 10.3% during a time period when every other format was going up.
Those palm-sized softcover books are traditionally the domain of adult genre fiction, like romance, fantasy and mystery. Narratives, read front-to-back (and I doubt there’s ever need for a comprehension test afterward). Self-published eBook authors have latched onto genre categories bigtime, too, likely diverting what would have been physical book sales. For that kind of fiction, the years-long paper massacre hasn’t ended.
But as Mark Twain might opine, reports of paper books’ death have been greatly exaggerated. The near-term future won’t be paper-or, but paper-and, pixel. Until the two are indistinguishable in terms of features, factors and feel.
Frank Catalano (@FrankCatalano) is an independent consultant to firms in education and consumer technology, a veteran industry analyst, and a professional speaker and author. His regular GeekWire columns take a practical nerd’s approach to tech.
All hail paper, the book reading technology resurgent. Eight years after the first Amazon Kindle and five years since the first Apple iPad, lowly pressed wood pulp is on the rebound.
The consequence looks more like co-existence than conquest. For now.
The latest numbers for 2014 book sales tell a surprising tale. Nielsen BookScan, which tracks what readers are buying, found the number of paper books sold went up 2.4% last year, including at Amazon and all types of bookstores.
As Publishers Weekly puts it, “the 2014 figures are further evidence that print books are selling better than they have since sales of eBooks exploded in 2010.” The paper tome apparently hit rock bottom in 2012, but has since rallied in categories from children’s books to adult non-fiction, and formats from trade paperback to hardcover.
Students, too, are rediscovering paper. Several studies – including one by tech-centric Hewlett-Packard – find a strong preference for printed textbooks, notably among those in college who have tried both types. In the HP survey, 57% preferred print; only 21% preferred an eTextbook.
At the same time, eBooks have hit a plateau of sorts. Growth in revenues, according to the Association of American Publishers, was a mere 3.8% in 2013 compared to “unprecedented” growth in 2012. The first three quarters of 2014 showed another nice, modest uptick of 5.6%.WonderworldScienceinside
Depending on whose stats you believe, eBooks that people actually pay for have settled in to represent slightly more than a quarter (27%) of all U.S. book sales, and perhaps up to a third (self-published author direct sales are harder to measure, and freebies are, well, not paid).
Why the pushback against pixels? It may be a combination of how we’re wired, and where eBooks and their devices still fail to connect with readers.
Multiple studies find that we pitiful humans seem to read differently when given the same text on a screen instead of on a page – and are distracted more easily – so less of what we read sticks. Researchers at James Madison University, for one, suspect that readers skim eBook pages quickly and repeatedly, while eye-tracking software shows paper books are read line-for-line. The result is that grokking the content of eBooks “takes longer and requires more effort to reach the same level of understanding.”
Then add distractions. Lots of eBooks aimed at kids are chock full of animations, games and other digital delights. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop found young kids recall a lot less of the eBook narrative than kids who read print versions of the same story. Another study found young readers frequently skip eBook text, period, and move to the “fun” stuff.On a tablet I can be constantly tempted, and pulled away from losing myself in the book, by notifications of incoming email, status updates, direct messages and Words With Friends moves.
For those of us who are older, there is the Facebook Factor. I know I’m not the only one who discovered that the downside of moving from a dedicated Kindle eReader to a Kindle Fire tablet is I now can be constantly tempted, and pulled away from losing myself in the book, by notifications of incoming email, status updates, direct messages and Words With Friends moves.
Non-intuitive tools
If I were to ask how you’d remember a page or a passage in a paper book, you’d look at me as though I were an idiot. You’d grab a pen or highlighter – two familiar tools that are used for more than reading – and mark the words or scribble in the margins. Or just dog-ear the page, a simple, quick physical motion.
By DBGthekafu [GPL (http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html)], via Wikimedia CommonsFor eBooks, you actually have to figure out under which menu the right tool is, how to use it, what its limits are (can I export? save across devices?) and then finally apply it. And, unlike a real thumb or ink pen, how that tool works can vary by platform.
Take the faux sticky note. One study from Ryerson University noted that readers felt they had to “remember to purposely search for the electronic sticky note, in contrast to the easily observable paper sticky note.”
Yes, eBook tools are better than they used to be. But my pen remains mightier than your silicon.
Human factors
I’m not going to soft-pedal this: Some people still like the feel of a book, the heft of a book, even the smell of a book. It has a UI and UX with centuries of refinement. For some types of reading, the physical act of opening a thick cover and listening to the whispered crackle of spine and pages is part of the enjoyment.
For some types of reading, the physical act of opening a thick cover and listening to the whispered crackle of spine and pages is part of the enjoyment.
There is also brilliant, large cover art and the ever-present reminder that you own a book, not because it shows up in a text list or thumbnail art when you log in to your Kindle inventory, but because it’s in your face, on a shelf, where you and others nearby can bask in it.
Oh. About ownership. Recall Amazon’s ability to modify or remove an eBook without a buyer’s permission? The Ryerson study concluded that readers perceived digital content as less permanent. Physical books were under their, not “publishers or IT developers,” control.
Plus, the whole how-backlit-screens-can-interfere-with-sleep thing.
This isn’t to say all is rosy for paper books. The biggest damage in 2014 was the continued slide in mass market paperback sales, down 10.3% during a time period when every other format was going up.
Those palm-sized softcover books are traditionally the domain of adult genre fiction, like romance, fantasy and mystery. Narratives, read front-to-back (and I doubt there’s ever need for a comprehension test afterward). Self-published eBook authors have latched onto genre categories bigtime, too, likely diverting what would have been physical book sales. For that kind of fiction, the years-long paper massacre hasn’t ended.
But as Mark Twain might opine, reports of paper books’ death have been greatly exaggerated. The near-term future won’t be paper-or, but paper-and, pixel. Until the two are indistinguishable in terms of features, factors and feel.
Frank Catalano (@FrankCatalano) is an independent consultant to firms in education and consumer technology, a veteran industry analyst, and a professional speaker and author. His regular GeekWire columns take a practical nerd’s approach to tech.
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Evangelical Press Association Names New Executive Director
Note to Grace journalism students: This new director, Lamar Keener, is now the owner of the Christian publication I founded in Minneapolis/St. Paul, originally known as the Twin Cities Christian Newspaper.
Evangelical Press Association Names New Executive Director
Contact: Mark Winz, Evangelical Press Association, 407-826-2379
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 7, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Evangelical Press Association Board of Directors has announced the appointment of CFO Lamar Keener as the new Executive Director of the association, effective January 15, 2015.
The action follows the resignation of current Executive Director D'Arcy Maher, who informed the Board in December that she was stepping down in light of new opportunities for a joint ministry with her husband.
"In the final months of 2014, my husband and I received an invitation to work together as a team in an international capacity," Maher said. "After prayerful consideration, we are walking through the steps to finalize this significant decision. Releasing the role at EPA is certainly bittersweet, but it's the right time in order for the association to continue moving forward."
"D'Arcy has served the association well, and while we will miss her, we celebrate this new opportunity with her," said President-elect Mark Winz, who presided over the discussion and voting.
After considering several options, the EPA Board voted unanimously to offer the position to Keener, who has been serving in a part-time business management role for EPA since 2012. His role will now expand to include Executive Director.
"Lamar's wealth of industry knowledge, professionalism and marketing expertise make him a great fit," said Winz. "Since he's already on staff, he will be able to seamlessly step in to keep the work of the association moving forward."
Keener has been an active member of EPA for more than 25 years. He was the publisher of the award-winning Christian Examiner newspaper group from 1988 to 2014, and he is the current publisher of Refreshed magazine, launched last year. He previously served as Treasurer and President of the EPA Board.
The Evangelical Press Association is a professional association of Christian publications - magazines, newspapers and newsletters - and content-rich websites. Founded in 1948, the association includes 300 members in the U.S., Canada, Israel and India. The next annual convention will be held April 8 - 10, 2015, in Westminster, Colorado. For information on EPA and the convention, visit www.evangelicalpress.com
Evangelical Press Association Names New Executive Director
Contact: Mark Winz, Evangelical Press Association, 407-826-2379
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., Jan. 7, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Evangelical Press Association Board of Directors has announced the appointment of CFO Lamar Keener as the new Executive Director of the association, effective January 15, 2015.
The action follows the resignation of current Executive Director D'Arcy Maher, who informed the Board in December that she was stepping down in light of new opportunities for a joint ministry with her husband.
"In the final months of 2014, my husband and I received an invitation to work together as a team in an international capacity," Maher said. "After prayerful consideration, we are walking through the steps to finalize this significant decision. Releasing the role at EPA is certainly bittersweet, but it's the right time in order for the association to continue moving forward."
"D'Arcy has served the association well, and while we will miss her, we celebrate this new opportunity with her," said President-elect Mark Winz, who presided over the discussion and voting.
After considering several options, the EPA Board voted unanimously to offer the position to Keener, who has been serving in a part-time business management role for EPA since 2012. His role will now expand to include Executive Director.
"Lamar's wealth of industry knowledge, professionalism and marketing expertise make him a great fit," said Winz. "Since he's already on staff, he will be able to seamlessly step in to keep the work of the association moving forward."
Keener has been an active member of EPA for more than 25 years. He was the publisher of the award-winning Christian Examiner newspaper group from 1988 to 2014, and he is the current publisher of Refreshed magazine, launched last year. He previously served as Treasurer and President of the EPA Board.
The Evangelical Press Association is a professional association of Christian publications - magazines, newspapers and newsletters - and content-rich websites. Founded in 1948, the association includes 300 members in the U.S., Canada, Israel and India. The next annual convention will be held April 8 - 10, 2015, in Westminster, Colorado. For information on EPA and the convention, visit www.evangelicalpress.com
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