Will hipsters save print media?
zine renaissance marvels at ‘the magic of holding a piece of paper’
Print is dead.
Scientists have been saying as much since the early ’80s. And the world has watched as media empires crumbled over the past few years.
There’s also this:
And since babies can’t do math or cure cancer or Dance with the Stars or make expensive hamburgers, I predict all that stuff will go away to. But that’s another blog post.
At Monday’s National Press Club luncheon, TMZ founder Harvey Levin (I’m sorry, how did TMZ’s founder get into a National Press Club luncheon?) explained to all those unadapting NPC newsosaurs why they’re doomed. From the Washington Post (via Poynter):
As for you, dear print reader, Levin says, it’s off to the scrap heap. “What is the magic of holding a piece of paper in the air when you read?” he asked. “You in the news media think you have to preserve this? Why?”
Funny you should ask Harvey. Also yesterday, the New York Times published an article about a recent resurgence in zine culture.
Lately, it seems, the zine is enjoying something of a comeback among the Web-savvy, partly in reaction to the ubiquity of the Internet. Their creators say zines offer a respite from the endless onslaught of tweets, blog posts, I.M.’s, e-mail and other products of digital media.
“There’s nothing more joyous than having a little publication in your hands,” said Malaka Gharib, a social media coordinator for a nonprofit organization in Washington. In her spare time, she publishes a colorful food zine called The Runcible Spoon with her friend Claire O’Neill.
“It’s a much more tangible feeling than collecting things on a Pinterest board,” she said, referring to a service that lets people save and store interesting links and pictures found on the Web.
- Amanda Mills
- Amanda Mills (left) at Atlanta Zine Library’s June 2011 fundraiser at Cornbred Gallery
Atlanta’s having its own mini love affair with zines right now, too. The new Atlanta Zine Library is housed at Mint Gallery, which is also hosting the release party Nov. 4 for HydeATL’s new zine “Cool Kids vs. Hot Mess.”
Can hipsters save print media? It might be just ironic enough to work.