The tactile experience of reading printed media can and should complement today’s digital world

Are print magazines a dying breed? Last week, The Enthusiast Network – known as TEN – announced their intent to eliminate print production on all but three of their automotive magazines. A number of fellow publishers, including myself, were quite thrown by this. Since the announcement, I’ve read scores of comments from industry peers and consumers, in an effort to understand not only what people think led to the downfall of this company but also where they feel this market is headed. These opinions, your opinions, will have a significant effect on how OutdoorX4 will embrace the future. With certainty, we will evolve without compromising the quality of editorial you deserve and have become accustomed to, but by what means is it best delivered?

As I pondered the changes, I reflected back on a recent experience when I sat behind a glass window at the local dojo watching my youngest daughter’s Tae Kwon Do class. My attention was shared between watching her perform and enthusiastically reading a fantastical story about a man who had become so lost within his selfish world that it eventually cost him his life. The story was in a copy of Texas Monthly, a decades-old publication hailing from Austin. Glancing up I noticed all the people seated around me were engaged in a different way…on their cell phones. Over the next several weeks, I left the magazine sitting in its place with a page bookmarked so I could return to it when I came back. I was curious whether someone might pick it up and immerse themselves in the experience of reading something tangible vs. doodling on their smartphone. Each time, however, the magazine was in exactly the same spot, untouched, my bookmark where I had left it. This observation was notable then, and quite honestly, in light of the recent news, strikes me now to the core.

As the publisher of an independently owned magazine, I am constantly evaluating not only the stories we feature but also how we deliver them to the broad demographic of adventurists who comprise our readership. We have made distribution changes to expand our presence at the newsstand, which now includes retail outlets throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, South America, Australia, and the African continent. We have enhanced the reader experience in our digital edition to provide easy viewing on a desktop, phone, or tablet. Our social media channels have grown organically since our launch in 2013 with regularly updated images and stories linking back to our website to attract new readers and keep our current readers engaged between issues. I recognize the value of self evaluation as we strive to adapt to the changing market. But in light of the latest news affecting the automotive print industry, is this enough? For reference, I began my publishing career 14 years ago and it began in digital at a time when nobody understood its value. However, at the time (and still today), I’ve always felt there’s a strong need for high quality, printed media that immerses an audience in a tactile experience that separates them from the digital world. Niche media continues to outperform at the newsstand and OutdoorX4 is part of that experience.

I’d like to solicit your feedback. What should we consider within our own evolution? We publish not only OutdoorX4 but also a Special Edition for Jeep® vehicle enthusiasts. You are likely committed to them either as a subscriber or regular buyer at the newsstand. Like so many of our readers, I too appreciate the tactile experience of holding a print magazine but are we a fading anomaly? I also recognize the experiences I’ve had at my daughter’s Tae Kwon Do class are not uncommon. Most people utilize technology as a matter of convenience, enjoying the ability to have the world literally available at their fingertips.

I don’t believe that print is dead. I believe that like us, it is evolving. I feel it is a worthwhile endeavor to engage younger adventurists, to encourage those whose dream is to inhale the fresh mountain air while overlooking a distant valley or to witness a desert sunset, hearing the coyotes howl in the distance instead of sitting perched on a city bench, faces aglow with the light of an image on a screen the size of their palm. We could all use a break from our devices. Print delivers this. It requires no connectivity, only an old-fashioned paper magazine. OutdoorX4 is committed to ensuring this experience will always be available to those who will venture beyond the range of a cell phone.

We welcome your thoughts as we constantly strive to be there when and where you need us. Please send us a note, by whatever means you prefer. Where do you see the printed periodical landing in the next few years?

OutdoorX4 Magazine – Promoting responsible vehicle-based adventure travel and outdoors adventure