Magazines turn to federal government for help with a digital revolution
Canadian magazine publishers want taxpayers to help them reinvent themselves, asking the federal government for money to develop digital products they hope will compensate for falling print subscriptions.
The trade association that represents Canadian publishers has been quietly lobbying federal officials in an attempt to win funding to develop multimedia-rich digital editions that go beyond the capabilities of print.
Despite falling circulation at the country’s largest publications and anemic adoption rates for their online versions, Magazines Canada is convinced readers will move online if publishers can train employees how to enhance their products for Web-savvy readers.
That means tablet versions that contain as much video and audio as text, and other digital enhancements that help readers connect with the content in a deeper way than is possible in print.