Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Online or printed?

I read an article in the website of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, my favorite newspaper in the Philippines, that said that a recent survey (done by Synovate) in the country found out that since 2007, more consumers in urban areas are getting their media and entertainment fix from the Internet. The survey also pointed out that a decline in readership of print media (mainly newspapers) noted in a survey before the current one seems to have recovered somehow, with 30 percent of those now surveyed still reading printed materials. Well, this survey said that 30 percent is an improvement from the number obtained in recent past years.

Actually, I believe that despite the fantastic popularity of online media and the greater accessibility of people to more gadgets that make going online as easy as eating biscuits, print media will always be around in the Philippines or, at least, will take several generations before it loses mass appeal. And this is because of the geographical and economic make-up of the country where print media is still the most attractive, most accessible, and most informative reading material for many Filipinos who, in great numbers, live in places where electricity is not constantly available and who also, because of their state in life, will prioritize food over buying electronic information technology gadgets.

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