Last week, we opened the floor to our readers’ thoughts in the very first #SCOUTRoundTable on our Facebook and Twitter page. Through this initiative, we hope to spark a healthy discussion on issues, questions, and topics that matter to us—the youth. At the #SCOUTRoundTable, everyone gets a seat. Your only ticket? An open mind. And good internet connection, perhaps.
To kick things off, we asked: Is print dead?
In recent years, we’ve watched publication after publication disappear from the shelves, prompting people to mourn the end of an era. This is what our community has to say.
“Print is not dead. In the digital age, where everyone can ‘publish’ their thoughts, the value and credibility of print is heightened all the more. The remaining print publications need to prove their worth. I like how other publications have adapted by printing quarterly or biannually: give us something worth spending on, a thick issue that contains thoughts and images that surpass the quick gratification an Instagram post enjoys. Give me something made with thought and consideration over a few months as opposed to something typed up and relased quickly like a tweet. Print is getting even more cutthroat. That’s the way to put it, as opposed to print is dead. More power to the editor, the writer, and the journalist who value words enough to commit to paper as opposed to pseudo-intellectuals, ‘influencers,’ and ‘not a journalist’ bloggers who have no respect for the written word, in either print or online.” — Olivia Estrada
“It will live in one form or another. Publications die but print lives forever.” — @thebunnyluz
“There will always be a place for print. I don’t think I can imagine a media landscape without it. With so much digital content being shared so fast, I believe that the role of print to provide more substantial content has become more solidified. The pivot to digital was not meant to be a 180-degree turn. Agreeing with Isabella’s point that it needs to evolve. But with the resounding sound that print should be alive, the question now is why is it dying and what can we do to save it?” — Paulo Reyes
“It’s so much better to read something in print. I’m the type of person who comprehends more when I’m holding what I’m reading, not scrolling through it.” — @AudrisMaude
“Print is not dead. There are, and there will always be, a market for people who appreciate this medium. Given that we will always have a following, I think what we need the to work on most is a business model that can adapt to the changes that the digital age brought. The model that most publications follow is the same as what they followed from years back. :( so they really do have to evolve. I’m saying this because I know that we can’t disregard the business side of publications especially since this is the biggest factor for magazines to fold. For me, print will always be a more potent medium to get message across.” — Tricia Quintero
“I think it’s cyclical. It is at this point a niche. But I don’t think we can ever do without it.” — @nicolebatac