MEDIA: Newspapers are still relevant

While this is true to a certain extent — Utusan Malaysia being the most prominent name in the country that has since folded — many others continue to operate today, although perhaps not thriving as they used to.

Some have resorted to trimming the size of their teams, newspapers, and even circulation to stay afloat, as readership declines and advertisers shift their focus from print to digital.

But is print really dead? Not according to industry players, and for good reasons.

New Straits Times group editor Ahmad Lokman Mansor said for many, the lure of a physical copy remains, and newspapers continue to be the choice of many readers in terms of reliability of information.

“Yes, the current perception is that the traditional print is more reliable as far as authoritative information and trustworthiness are concerned. This also applies to portals that started off as print, like Malay Mail.

“A lot of people prefer physical items that can be held and kept, because it’s easier for future reference.

“So, I do think print is still relevant for now, and will continue to be in the coming years.”

However, Ahmad Lokman acknowledged that there was a need for the industry to implement changes if it wishes to remain relevant, including utilising other platforms, although contents should be altered to fit them.

“The secret is to figure out what is the best content for the best platform, but it should be non-exclusive. Meaning if a long feature article on environment is written for print, that doesn’t mean it can’t go online,” he said.

Like Ahmad Lokman, Sin Chew Media Corporation Bhd executive director and group CEO Eugene Wong Khang Yen believes print remains relevant today despite a drop in profit.

To ensure survivability, Wong said publications should rely less on advertisement revenues and focus more on newspaper sales — including by increasing cover prices — and online paywall.

He said that to convince readers to pay more, news agencies must provide more quality, in depth and analytical content beyond what is reported on online portals.

“With this kind of reporting, people will definitely be willing to pay more. Such content are not something you get online.”

Wong said unlike its digital counterparts, the value of a newspaper is in that people are more willing to spend longer time to consume them.

“On digital platforms, readers normally just spend a few minutes and that’s it.”

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Newspapers are still relevant