LIM College

What do “netbooks,” iPads, and the latest digital reading devices mean for the future of writing careers?  There is an article almost daily about major magazines going out of business. Aspiring writers and editors may find themselves disillusioned or questioning their desire for those careers. But that self-questioning may be reduced now that new digital reading devices have truly taken off in the market and provide the best venue for the increasing number of online-only publications.

Recently the print giants Condé Nast, Hearst, and Time Inc. teamed up to create an independent venture to develop a digital storefront in which readers can subscribe to favorite titles on Kindle, an iPhone or another small-screen device. For the publishers, this may mean an inexpensive channel through which to market and distribute content that will in time be enhanced by imagery, hyperlinks, search and reference tools, and other benefits that provide a more engaging reading experience than online publications offered in the past. For all such devices, however, the key business issue is likely to be licensing and the reuse of content under copyright.

So great, soon you will be able to scroll through the pages of Vogue on your iPhone during your morning commute. But what about those who want to create the pages of Vogue some day? When asked about the future of content managers (editors, creative directors, graphic artists and others) at a recent LIM College panel event, Amy Astley, Editor-in-Chief of Teen Vogue, said that there will still be a need for people to create magazine content, whether for digital or print media. Print publications are not even close to extinction. So, for those who desire to work with glossy paper, have no fear. But maybe that CAD or Media Communications class just crept a little higher on the priority list…

-- Quin Acciani

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