The Demise of Christian Publishing?
I'm editor of a journal for clergy -- it has an extremely small readership (would you like to subscribe?). The cost of publication is relatively high -- with postage being the biggest challenge. I know that many journals and magazines struggle to survive, but I guess I didn't realize how great the challenge really was.
I stumbled upon an online piece from Newsweek (I subscribe to Time, but read Newsweek articles online occasionally) written by Lisa Miller that suggests that Christian media is in a tailspin. Christianity Today, Inc has shut down several magazines, including what was once Campus Life and now Today's Christian Women. The latter had been a flagship kind of magazine, offering evangelical women an alternative to more secular mags like Cosmo, Redbook, etc. But apparently evangelical women are able to find what their looking for elsewhere.
I stumbled upon an online piece from Newsweek (I subscribe to Time, but read Newsweek articles online occasionally) written by Lisa Miller that suggests that Christian media is in a tailspin. Christianity Today, Inc has shut down several magazines, including what was once Campus Life and now Today's Christian Women. The latter had been a flagship kind of magazine, offering evangelical women an alternative to more secular mags like Cosmo, Redbook, etc. But apparently evangelical women are able to find what their looking for elsewhere.
So, is Christian media on its way out, or is religious media moving into new areas and new mediums? While CTI won't be publishing Today's Christian Women, the editor is planning to turn out an online version. I know that there are a number of online journals out there, which cater to younger readers, so it's not as if there's no medium for communication. It's just different.
But its interesting how this works. Decades ago preachers would find publishers for sermons. The founding pastor of the church I pastor published numerous books like this, with major publishers. That's much more difficult to do now.
So, I invite responses -- where is Christian/religious media heading?
Comments
Admittedly, the efforts to rival Cosmo and the other celebrity tabloids (US, People, OK!, etc.) are admirable, but most church-going women I know still pick-up one of the latter at the grocery counter, despite the slight embarrassment of being spotted by another church-goer.
The largely contrived "sacred-secular" divide has been exposed by new media. Inasmuch as you don't subscribe to Newsweek because you can get it online, as I do the NY Times, people are loathe to go to a specifically "Christian" store. There are precious few friends and church-goers I know who don't cringe at the scripture-laden chotzkys or breath mints.
As to the demise of the publishing, this is frustrating to me as a wanna-be writer, but as a product of the tail-end of Gen X, as much as I would love to make some money for writing a book, I'm seriously considering publishing the first book I write for free online with print versions through a self-published site where people are only charged print cost.
I would love for folks to make donations to worthwhile organizations and charities, and will probably try and guilt them that way, but I recognize most will take it for free.
The publishing industry (especially the Christian industry) ought to heed the lessons of the music industry in the post-Napster area. New media is coming for print next. The Kindle may not be the iPod, but it's descendants may topple publishing as we know it.
The reality is why buy what you can get for free? Like this blog.. we can come on here for free and share ideas. I go to the drudge report daily to see the major headlines of the world.
I would be cautious to throw out Christian media, but rather say printed media as a whole is in serious decline. Does it effect Chrisitian.. of course, it swims in the same ocean. But you could probably add in everyone from Newsweek to Skateboard magazine who is in decline.
Chuck
Back to Christian media. I remember, back before the days of Borders and Barnes and Noble, when I worked in a Christian bookstore we carried a wide selection of books. Indeed, books were our primary product. But go into a Christian store today, and you'll find few books. If I want a religious book I go to Amazon or to Borders. The selection is larger and certainly broader.
Speaking of the Century, which is a venerable journal, even it is struggling some, and it is tapping into online media -- including the network of which I'm a part and the Theolog blog, to which I'm a contributor.