From the time printing was introduced, it has been the most widely used means of communicating and storing information. When the Gutenberg movable printing machine was invented, it allowed production of large amount of prints over a short period. This set the precedent for magazine publication and many people could access the publications. Magazines became popular for their short stories and the number of publications grew over the years.
In recent past, magazine publishing has been facing stiff competition from online publishing. From the time people started to put their text their text files on the internet online publishing has become a way of publishing and a source of information unmatched by any other form.
Each mode of publishing has its own advantages and disadvantages. It is viewed that online publication offers a lot of information, which is free compared to the magazine publications. Most of the information uploaded on the internet is readily available unlike in magazine publication where you have to search for the magazine to access the information you need.
The advantage of online publishing over magazine publishing is the cost involved. Online publishing requires only writing text in your computer and uploading on the internet. With magazine publishing, you must possess a printing machine or submit your text to a publishing house before your information is available for other people to read.
The time taken after writing your information and getting it published also makes online publishing a better choice than magazine publishing. Information presented or uploaded on the internet becomes available to readers instantly, while in magazine publishing, you have to wait until the issue or publication has been approved, printed and distributed before the information is available.
The advantage of magazine publishing over online publishing is that, the information contained in magazine is more reliable than that found in online publications. Before an article is printed in a magazine, it will mostly be verified and authenticated unlike in online publishing where anyone can upload information that may at times be false.
Sometimes the number of magazine copies published is small and this makes it hard for people to access the information contained in it. In online publishing, information is readily available on the internet and mostly what you need to access this information is just a username and login password. This makes online publishing more convenient than magazine publishing.
Issues related to the use of industrial processes in magazine publishing
One of the biggest challenges facing industrial process in magazine publishing is cost of production. The cost of paper, which is the main raw material in this sector has been going up every year and this is making magazine publishing an uneconomically viable venture.
Competition from online publishing is another issue that has been affecting the industrial process in magazine publishing. Magazines are losing a lot of revenue in terms of sales and advertisement, as many people prefer to access information form online publications. People have begun to embrace the convenience of accessing information on the internet rather than buying published magazines.
Industrial process in magazine publishing is also faced by laws being enacted by governments. The process of publishing magazines has been criticized as one of the processes that cause environmental pollution due to the chemicals used in publications. Government have enacted laws that restrict usage of some of the chemicals and materials used in publishing and this has made it expensive.