Paper Trails

With more and more people attached to their computers, it's no wonder that publications are increasingly going online. Magazines are either supplementing their print content with online bonus information, such as extended features, photos, audio files, or videos, or looking to ditch the printing presses entirely to focus on all-electronic publishing. While publishers seem to love the instant-news nature of online publishing and the cost savings that come with avoiding paper and postage, readers in a variety of surveys say they'd far prefer to hold a publication in their hands instead of on their desktops. Most educational institutions are still printing magazines on paper, but many have either scaled back their publications' frequencies or begun supplementing print versions with online publications. Some are bumping up their online presence to include additional features that aren't included in their traditional magazines. And if they haven't started publishing online in some format, many say they're seriously thinking about where and how to start. The purists, however, say a printed magazine is a fundamental part of the communications strategy of an educational institution. These paper proponents say that they'll find the money in the budget to continue printing their main outreach publications on paper, and that cuts will occur elsewhere. While others aren't necessarily looking to increase their hard-copy publications, they do say that print is an amazing value in terms of cost to reach alumni and friends. Most editors think it's here to stay for the long term, working, in most cases, alongside electronic communications.