PCW Magazine Dead

I'm a magazine editor. I think almost everyone is struggling at the moment. The economic downturn has seen paper prices rise 25% in some cases, ad revenues have dropped like a stone, advertisers have pulled out of non-core markets, marketing budgets have been slashed, and it's tougher than ever to get readers as people are watching their money more and, in general, spending less on magazines.

I'm obviously incredibly biased, but there is, as a sweeping generalisation, often a difference in the quality of journalism you get in print compared to online. Journalists are accountable for what they do, can be easily sued, and often do a more thorough job than some online competitors. However, I think all magazines are now waking up to the fact that they can't go on providing content that can be easily found by five minutes of Googling... Print journos need to go the extra mile now, which can mean that some print editorial is now really rather good.
 
Skyfall said:
There's no real need for print papers/magazines any more, all information is freely available to you online everywhere.

I am quite in awe sometimes at the fact that I have access to the sum of all human knowledge wherever I am*.

*In the developed world.
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hey skyfall's only suspended now? when did this happen?
 
Got all the issues still from 2006-2009 :) I did have earlier issues but binned em :(
 
It is a sad loss. I always felt that PCW was the best of the mainstream computer mags. I subscribe to CustomPC; have done so from the very first issue and although I only flick through the magazine now (I dont have the funds anymore to keep up in the PC race) it is still head and shoulders above some of the other mags which are full of adverts and have a pointless cover disk.

I hope magazines survive as nothing beats a good pile of them in the bog!
 
For an OcUKer, I am unsually, not good with technology/ up-to-speed with computers.

I would rather read a magazine over internet because:

1. My eyes hurt less when reading a magazine.
2. Spilling coffee/ beverage/ snacks on my magazine isn't an expensive blunder.
3. I can tear articles out.
4. I can swat flies with it/ use it as a general weapon vs critters.
5. Quality of journalism. I am getting FED UP of internet spelling and grammar. Mine has become significantly worse since reading more internet forums and news websites. The number of spelling mistakes (that you'd expect a five year old to make) in the BBC news website every day is shocking.
6. Quality of journalism. I hate googling something only to be lead to someone's useless blog written on black background in yellow ink (or some other irritating font scheme)
7. Better layout and structure (contents page and page layout for instance)
8.I don't have to spend hours sifting through millions of websites which have nothing to do with my original search: I don't wan't XXX teen porn or 100% herbal viagra or garish adverts.
9. Perhaps the most practical here: there are no pop ups to hurt me and my pc's safety in a magazine.


I may have gone OT, but I am frankly alarmed by the decline in magazine readership in general. I am alarmed at the decline of good printed journalism which is being replaced with shoddy internet pages.

I really hope PCW is not going to be a trendsetter.
 
the good thing about a magazine, you'll come across things that otherwise you'd most likely miss on the internet..

saying that, I've not bought any sort of pc magazine for about 9 years
 
I used to get it way back when they reviewed kit like the ACT Sirius and the Sharp MZ80K (I was a very geeky 12 year old !)

RIP :-(
 
Shame to see it go and I much prefer print to on-screen, but I found that when I was getting magazines they were just going on a shelf and not being read, so I stopped. In fact, I found a stack of unopened PC Pro and transferred them all directly to the bin about a month ago. Never read them, no point in reading them now.

RIP the PC mag*, gone, but not forgotten. :(

* OK, I'm ahead of myself there, but it won't be long it seems.
 
ebooks are horrible, you can't beat the comfort of print.

News is perfectly suited to digital form, you want up-to-date and convinience the web, laptop and mobile are perfectly suited.

I can also understand that technology magazines may be under threat but I wouldn't dream of reading my car or money magazines online, I wan't to relax in the coffee shop or on my sofa, not have my head burried in a laptop progressively getting eye strain.
 
Voltar said:
I would rather read a magazine over internet because:

1. My eyes hurt less when reading a magazine.
2. Spilling coffee/ beverage/ snacks on my magazine isn't an expensive blunder.
3. I can tear articles out.
4. I can swat flies with it/ use it as a general weapon vs critters.
5. Quality of journalism. I am getting FED UP of internet spelling and grammar. Mine has become significantly worse since reading more internet forums and news websites. The number of spelling mistakes (that you'd expect a five year old to make) in the BBC news website every day is shocking.
6. Quality of journalism. I hate googling something only to be lead to someone's useless blog written on black background in yellow ink (or some other irritating font scheme)
7. Better layout and structure (contents page and page layout for instance)
8.I don't have to spend hours sifting through millions of websites which have nothing to do with my original search: I don't wan't XXX teen porn or 100% herbal viagra or garish adverts.
9. Perhaps the most practical here: there are no pop ups to hurt me and my pc's safety in a magazine.


I may have gone OT, but I am frankly alarmed by the decline in magazine readership in general. I am alarmed at the decline of good printed journalism which is being replaced with shoddy internet pages.

I really hope PCW is not going to be a trendsetter.
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Fortunately there are other subject matter that fair pretty well in print, your points above are pretty fair - the web variant always feels like a low rent alternative but not a replacement.
 
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