Local Media and Technology
The constant advancement of technology is changing the methods by which Columbians (especially the young) receive their news and practical information. Once the sole purveyors of local news and information, daily newspapers and TV networks must compete more aggressively to retain their market shares and profit margins. The explosion of the Internet, smart phones, cable TV and the lowering entry costs of publishing have drastically increased the number of news and general media sources. Since we began publishing Columbia Metropolitan in 1990, more than a dozen new publications have come on the local scene, some have since left, and a plethora of local Web sites have developed.
This is great for the consumer, new media businesses and advertisers, but it is disconcerting for the established media. Newspapers throughout the world are scrambling to head off this competition by enhancing their Web sites and launching new publications (such as The State's magazines Jolie and Columbia/Lake Murray). According to the Newspaper Association of America, daily U.S. newspaper circulation has fallen from 62.8 million in 1985 to 54.6 million in 2004, a 13 percent decline. During the same time period, the U.S. population grew from 238 million to over 293 million, a 23 percent increase. Newspapers, after enjoying many decades of stratospheric profit margins, as high as 25 percent in some cases, are experiencing the relentless march of technology and its ability to flatten out the marketplace and their margins. This allows more competitors to enter the market and more choices for consumers. Local businesses have more choices as well and, thus, lower advertising costs. Readers/viewers are not dependent on only a few sources of information and can pick and choose the ones that suit them best.
How do magazines fit into this picture? Some national magazines have struggled because advertisers have pulled resources out of traditional media such as magazines and put their dollars into the Internet or other advertising venues. City magazines like Columbia Metropolitan, however, have actually benefited from this change for a number of reasons. First, city magazines are basically a luxury read primarily for entertainment purposes. Readers curl up on a couch with one, read it in bed or take it to the beach. Electronic devices are, by and large, tools that don't allow much in the way of relaxation. Second, people never tire of reading about the people, places, events, homes and food that make their area special. Columbia is a special city and a great place to call home. More and more people are finding this out, whether they are newcomers or long time residents, and are becoming engaged with this wonderful community. We love to share the remarkable stories and personalities of Columbia through the pages of this magazine. Thank you for being a reader.
Sincerely,
Henry Clay
Publisher
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