Is print dead?

Dan Brown (The DaVinci Code) released his new book The Lost Symbol on September 17. And for the first time ever, the e-book version of a new release title is outselling the hardcover edition (people.com).

This shift in print media is indicative of what’s happening across the board in media...C-H-A-N-G-E. The way people consume their media is evolving at a rapid pace. We’re no longer tied to the tube, waiting for the networks to broadcast our favorite shows. Now we DVR or download WHAT we want to watch and watch it WHEN we want to. Phil Cooke said in a recent blog post that “Bob Garfield, author of The Chaos Scenario predicts that within 5 years, one of the major 4 TV networks will drop out, maybe two”. That’s not surprising considering that the usage of the internet for broadcast purposes (YouTube, Tangle, blogs, etc.) is growing exponentially.

So what does that mean for those of us in media ministry? It means we either need to get on the bus or get left behind. If we keep the status quo, there will be nobody left to see or hear our message...they will have gotten on the bus themselves.

Tape ministry is dead. DVD/CD ministry is dying. Podcasting and internet broadcasting is where we need to be now, so that we’ll be ready for the next thing when it comes along...and trust me...IT IS COMING!