Chapter 3
Print Media
Books, Newspapers and magazines

General functions of Print media

Print media has various functions and there are three main types of print media that have more specific functions. The three main types of print media are books, newspapers, and magazines. Books, for example are are made to entertain, to inform, and cultural transmission. One example I can give of cultural transmission through books is the influence the bible has had in history and still has on us today. It has taught us morals and sets of values that have been passed from generation to generation. Newspapers are mostly used for surveillance, informing the public of current events in society. In local newspapers they inform people on things like the government, law enforcement, business, religion and art. National newspapers cover international events and issues. Newspapers are also used to entertain. Magazines can have information that covers surveillance and other things, but is mostly used for entertainment. A magazine will typically have a lot more information about a subject than a newspaper.

Historical Development of Print Media

The first time we used print media was when cavemen drew on tablets hundreds of years ago. We also used animal skin to write on, which were called scrolls. After that came the codex, which was a manuscript of bound individual pages. German printer Johannes Gutenberg invented the first mechanical printing press in 1455. It was a printer that used lead, movable type, and pressed oil-based ink on paper. The first widespread use of books were dime novels, which were paperback books that sold for 10 cents, so even the poor could start to learn how to read and buy them. over 300,000 copies of the dime novel Maleeska was sold in the 1860's. More books were being sold in drugstores and supermarkets, making them more accessible. This was in the 1940's, 50's, and 60's. Ebooks are the new form of books, turning print media into digital media by having full books accessible online or on your phone.
The first magazines didn't come out until the mid 1700's. The first printed document to use the word magazine in it was in 1731, it was called The Gentleman's Magazine and it was published in London. Magazines started to catch weight when they started to speak to a national audience. Harpers Weekly lead the way to develop sports journalism, while other major names in magazines were also getting popular like National Geographic and Life. Muckrakers lead the way for future reporters who focus on investigative journalism.
 Newspapers started off as small pamphlets and brochures in Germany in the 1400's. One newspaper was published in Boston called the Public Occurrences, and led the way for other newspapers to follow. The commercial press was then created and was important because it allowed political views and voices to be heard. Then there was the golden age, when newspapers became more and more popular. This was when newspapers became more of a variety of topics, not just political, and didn't have to be subscribed for you to get one. Benjamin Day invented the penny press in NYC and made getting the news very cheap.

Current Business Issues

The major threat to books currently is Ebooks. It's taking all the printed books and turning them into a digital form. Instead of having to go out and buy a physical book, we can just download one on our phones. There has also been no growth in the book industry since 2012.
There is a lot of speculation right now over the outlook for newspapers. People are still buying newspapers but researchers believe that the content and how it's presented needs to change to meet the current needs of the public. They suggest interpreting and analyzing news events and more interactive multimedia, which also could threaten news magazines.
The major issue with the magazine industry is how magazines need to adapt to survive. Audiences are becoming more and more specific about what content they want to see, so companies make magazines for specific audiences, like snowboarders subscribing to a snowboarding magazine.

Forces Effecting the Print Media

Political - One example of this is if a political campaign puts out an advertisement in a magazine, we will keep seeing it and make us think about the election. The news magazines and newspapers also put out a lot of rumors and information about the elections, we have common day "muckrakers" who try to dig up dirt about the candidates, one of the more recent examples of this was a conversation Donald Trump had with another man about his wife, using some rather vulgar vocabulary.
Cultural - One example of this is how in some areas of the US, we are taught in schools different ideas or interpretations of the same event, because of our culture in that specific area. For example, in the North, schools teach students that the confederates were rebels who held slaves and treated slaves like property, and how the north needed to free them, whereas the south teaches southern kids the idea of northern aggression and how they ruined the economy of the south.
Economic - One example of this is if a magazine that puts out a weekly issue is doing poorly, one thing they might do is only put one out every month to reduce cost. Another example is if there is two newspaper companies in one town that are both doing poorly, they could combine to save the cost of production and erase the competition.
Technological -  One thing that we are seeing today is the threat of Ebooks online. People are always going to want the easiest option when it comes to anything, so if they can download a book online for the same price by just moving their fingers instead of going out and buying a book, they will. This is effecting the book industry media and even magazines and newspapers. Not only do these magazines and newspapers still have a physical issue of them, but they also have websites and even television networks now to keep up with the technological advancements.