Since then, the print industry has seen a sharp decline in their print sales.

Even the advertisement

revenue started bleeding slowly. Print organizations moved to digital channels to retain their
customers and advertisers. Digital channels such as web news, google cards, daily updates, Facebook
news, and news app were some of the options that gained a lot of momentum. These new channels
have also resulted in creation of new jobs.

Today, news is not just about disseminating information, but also about customer experience. It is
about delivering the news with customer’s comfort and convenience in mind. With platforms such as
Facebook Live, newsrooms are being converted into chatrooms, to understand and gather customer
reaction and feedback. With media focussing more on human interface, people are engaging more
than ever before through these platforms. This mix of digital delivery and real-time customer
engagement has resulted in creation of trends such as mobile journalism, integrated newsroom,
convergence media, and citizen journalism.

The dynamics of news consumption are evolving too. The channels are not restricted to newspaper
and magazines anymore. It is diversified from newspapers to YouTube videos and podcasts; and from
news channels to OTT platforms. This evident diversity along with the adoption of technology is not
only indicative of a new wave of change but also opens up an array of new opportunities for the
millennials.

The print media is on the right track of moving ahead with time and providing customers with a
digital medium to consume their news. This is just the beginning and it’s a long road ahead in terms
of creating a wider digital footprint, with rural penetration, integration with other web apps, and
creating online real-estate to attract advertisers.

The change has already begun and the pandemic has just accelerated the development. Most
importantly, it’s time for the print industry to experiment with different content formats, and social
media lead strategies.  Now is the time to test the propensity of the consumer to pay for exclusive
content or to test out new ideas to increase customer engagement and deliver a rich customer
experience.