Here is a cartoon image that caught my attention.
It perpetuates the idea shared by many: reading a printed newspaper is a more intimate experience for the reader than reading on a mobile device.
You get the idea! But what this cartoon brings to mind is an experience I once had. It was actually when our redesign of The Philadelphia Inquirer was just about ready to launch. A highly regarded advertising agency was charged with creating the launch campaign.
In walked the three representatives from the ad agency to show their handy work. There was silence in the room when the first image of a supposedly devoted Inquirer reader sitting at a park bench, with an open edition of the Inquirer between his hands. So far so good, except that behind this guy in the park suddenly there was a crowd, pretty much like the one you see on this cartoon.
The editors jumped out of their chairs with disapproval: reading a newspaper is a very intimate, solitary type of activity, they told the ad men.
“Nobody likes to read a newspaper with someone looking over their shoulder, so would not be a good, realistic image to use in connection with the campaign,” said another editor.
The ad guys were a bit deflated, picked up their boards and promised to return with a new concept.
As I remember the incident, I also wonder if it is true that reading in print is, indeed, a more personal, solitary activity.
Then there is those share buttons: read and share, it is all instant, so even if the people are not around you when you read, you are thinking about them as you read.
With print, you must reach out for the scissors, clip the article you wish to share and then sometimes even mail it.
Quite an effort, although I was always very happy and thankful when someone took the time to send me a newspaper clip of an item they thought I might be interested in.
While I shared “clips” from print occasionally, it was never as frequently as the four or five items I shared digitally almost daily.
In fact, I thought I would share this fun cartoon with you today, knowing many print lovers will print it and display it prominently somewhere.