Turning the Page ⇥ monocle.com

Andrew Tuck, Monocle:

But Buffett’s willingness to spend a lot of good money on newspapers is based on a deep belief: that people still want good regional and local newspapers. In the past 15 months he has bought 28 daily papers for a grand total of $344m (€263.7m). In his letter this year he said that “People will seek their news – what’s important to them – from whatever sources provide the best combination of immediacy, ease of access, reliability, comprehensiveness and low cost.” […]

What seems to be happening though – at last – is that media players of every size and in every sector are realising that there is not just one route to success. There is no quick-fix media model you can buy off the shelf.

Last year, I was given a subscription to Lapham’s Quarterly in both digital and physical editions. I love my iPad, but I wait to receive the physical copy of this. And, while I don’t have a subscription to it, I prefer the physical version of Monocle as well. Both of these magazines are printed on high-quality paper stock with beautiful typography and vivid images.

Compare with the earlier link regarding the downfall of pay-what-you-want music. The immediacy of digital availability is part of the ability to grow businesses in both music and publishing, but there is value attached to a physical object.