I came across this today, The Printed Blog, which is a project aimed at rethinking printed media and designing it in such a way that it reads like a blog does. I went and read the first issue, which is available for viewing in PDF form online. I really don't know what to make of it. I can't imagine that people would go out of their way to read this content in print form, when more or less, what it offers is a less than cohesive collection of blurbs and pieces that lightly touch on topics that aren't necessarily things that the average person is looking to read. The cover page features a story about fetishes and sexual boundaries, and that is followed by a piece on Obama... ?
The creator of The Printed Blog thinks otherwise. What he aims to do, is to allow readers to customize which blogs are featured in the paper, and this would be done on a neighborhood to neighborhood basis, which is certainly an interesting approach to take. He aims to charge local businesses around $20 to advertise in the paper, with hopes that these smaller entities will be encouraged by the low price incentive and the local reach, rather than on a nation wide basis. Brand Republic explains how this paper aims to function for its readers, which without a doubt, seems like an exciting experiment in user defined reading material. An explanation of how ad space will operate is offered at Journalism.co.uk.
As always, I appreciate the idea that someone is looking to rethink the way media is presented, after all, isn't that what blogging has accomplished? Everyday people can operate as journalists and share a wealth of information on a global level. Newspapers in print hardly accomplish that with less freedom and a smaller reach.
Have a look at The Printed Blog, if you have a moment, and see what you think.
2 comments:
Great concept. I read about something very similar, where you could gives thumbs up and thumbs down ratings for the columns. The site would then learn what sort of things interest you, and give you news/columns which are to your taste.
I think the way that news and media is presented will alter greatly in the coming years, and although I understand that it may be very hit and miss right now, the future will be very interesting.
Yes that is similar.. I think what makes this a bit different though, is that the preferences of readers will be in print. That's a far cry from data being redistributed online.
So on that level, I think this endeavor will be quite unique.
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