Print Future: How will digitization affects the print industry

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Will printing die as we digitize data?

New research shows comprehension and memory boosted by the printed page

Growth in online information is driving global printer market

New research in the US is adding weight to the argument that increased online activity is also increasing the need for people to print information – and is one of the reasons why the printer market continues to grow globally.

The study by three doctoral candidates at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communication, found that readers of print news remember ‘significantly more’ than those who read news stories online. Print readers also remember ‘significantly more’ topics than online readers, the study found.

People remember more

One of the main advantages of printed material is that people remember the content better than material they have read on a screen.

Asia Pacific expert, Dr Ken Hudson, Australian-based, best-selling business author and organisational psychologist, explains, “Online readers typically scan through articles to get a quick sense of the main news topics of the day. They are often using leisure time and are accessing online content within an entertainment context. A print version of the same story however changes the mindset of the reader and readers will take more time and think more deeply about the information they are consuming. It is also a more deliberate decision to focus on a printed page – as opposed to a tablet or mobile device where many other functions and distractions are possible.”

The reading experience

Dr Hudson supports the study’s findings, “As the report explains, reading printed material is very different, and offers a superior experience to reading online. Story placement and prominence is a feature of print and directs the reader what to read and informs them how important it is. The lack of clues in online news as to what stories are most significant, means that the reader often misses important headlines as it is difficult to gauge an article’s rank. The temporary nature of the online experience is all too often interrupted by advertisements, rolling banners and click throughs to another page, creating distraction. The reader is left chasing the conclusion of a story and remembering less than their print reading counterpart.”

Proofreading

Dr Hudson said that while the US study focused on the comparison of comprehension between online news content and traditional newsprint, the principles extend to other scenarios. For example, while information may be created online, proofreading is usually done offline and for good reason. Dr Hudson explains, “Reading on paper makes it easier to spot errors and edit documents. The change in mind-set when focusing on a printed page is part of this process. It is likely to be connected to how people learn to read. Even our youngest generations still learn to read from paper. It’s probably not even something we notice – but our minds pick up on all the cues we used as children when we practiced our reading on a printed page. We just seem to focus a lot more and don’t trust ourselves to spot errors and mistakes on screen when proofing materials.

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About Dr Ken Hudson

Dr Ken Hudson is the best-selling author of Speed Thinking, The Idea Generator and The Idea Accelerator – How to solve problems faster using Speed Thinking. Hudson has a PhD in Organisational Creativity, a MBA and a Bachelor of Business and is the inventor of Speed Thinking and its practical application, Blitz. Australian born Hudson is an International speaker, trainer, consultant and facilitator.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

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