Task 1a - Pros and Cons

1)   A detailed list of the pros and cons of digital and print magazines – what are the benefits and limitations of each format? Think about different perspectives for example the reader, the designer and the publisher.

DIGITAL MAGAZINE:

Pros-

•      Digital Magazines save money because they don’t have to pay for the printing
•      It is easier to reach the target audience because you can email them directly.
•      Digital Magazines are more eco-friendly because it doesn’t use any paper or waste any paper if there is a mistake in printing.
•       Digital Magazines often look a lot better than print magazines because they can include videos and in general have more control over design.

• Another pro of a digital magazine is interactivity, they can include social media and offer easier ways for the audience to communicate with the publishers.
• A Digital magazine is an idea that any publishing/magazine company can use – it is ideal for any industry e.g. teen magazines, fashion magazines, business magazines.
•    Digital Magazines also have full print-style ads so they don’t lose out on any sponsors etc.

Cons-

•       A huge con of digital magazines is that you can only read them if you have access to wifi which is difficult if you are on your way to work or travelling.
•       Can be hard to read and requires zooming in and out which can be an annoyance to the reader.

•       A digital magazine or any type of work posted online is at risk of plaigiarism.
•       It can cost the publisher more to have the magazine suitable for different users like Android, Apple products and just the traditional desktop browser.
•      You cannot share a digital copy with someone which could lead to a smaller audience as not everyone has a tablet or smart phone.

PRINT MAGAZINE:

Pros-

•       A pro of a print magazine is that everyone has access to them and you can read them regardless of internet access.
•      They can be cheaper to produce that a digital magazine.
•      Readers can share/lend out a print magazine which could lead to a bigger and wider audience.
•      You can keep the magazine for as long as you want! On digital devices you often have to delete things in order to update it or to do other things like take pictures which means that you cannot keep the copy forever – whereas you won’t have that issue with print magazines.

Cons-

•       They have a serious effect on the environment due to the use of paper and ink.
•      Print magazines are harder for people to archive because they might not have the space in their house for storage.
•       Print magazines are smaller due to the effect on the environment so it might not be able to fit all the information whereas digital magazines can have as many pages.
•      It could get expensive to keep buying the magazine every week.

• Print magazines are harder to move around and carry as opposed to something you would normally keep in your bag.
•     They can get damaged which lessens their value for money so people might not want to buy something that can get easily destroyed.