The collapse of print media has been covered as if it were a sign of the End Times, because those from within either cannot see or do not wish to expose some of the real reasons publishers are folding in the Age of Information.

People in print media are used to wielding the power of their reach - whether it is a political endorsement, a product review, the wording of an article, the decision to run with a story, the models chosen for a photo shoot, the novels that might get optioned into films, etc etc etc... all those things meant the people who can get your name in print without you having to pay an advertising fee *always* got the best seats in the house. Which, of course, leads to a circle of glad-handing and reach-arounds and yes-men... it leads to the notion that content is meaningless because *they* create the trends.

Then came the internet, and slowly they saw their audiences dribble away to better writing, to a form of editorial that could be more honest without advertisers to appease, to street level photography done by people local to the issues...

and print media rolled their eyes, took shots at the legitimacy of the new wave, and *eschewed* the internet as beneath their standards. The dribble turned into a steady stream of people who went to Snopes & Gawker & The Chicagoist. And print media conceded they needed a web presence, so they slapped together websites that had the exact same content as their printed media and then they wondered why they were suddenly selling even fewer issues. They shook their fists at the internet and called bloggers unwelcome interlopers, unprofessional dilettantes with no constraints or ethics. They warned us all about the folly of trusting internet sources.

And I think the truth is that print media is full of self-important luddites who became unaccustomed to paying people what their skills are worth. Publishers, after all, have long lists of people who just want to see their name in the byline no matter what the paycheck. Craft publishing is especially like this. But those with the skills to put together a media conglomerate's website aren't likely to take a pay cut just because they are working for a publisher, and publishers weren't used to people who didn't want to impress them.

So the dribble turned into a flood and by then it was too late. If your website isn't functioning/attractive and if you cannot deliver your content digitally, you will not be successful in any information/entertainment medium because those with good websites and digital content will easily and quickly eclipse your product.