Reno Wonders: Is The Printing Press Dying Out?
Nicole Fernandez • December 15th, 2021
Overview
Reno, Nevada is concerned about the printing press possibly dying out with the emergence of online resources, as well as the startling rise of COVID cases. However, that couldn't be farther from the truth. Digital copies of books, news and magazines are being released in mass amounts. In spite of this, printing is still one of the largest resources for companies in the world.
COVID-19’s Impact on Printing: How Reno's Presses Adapt
Chris Johnston General Manager at Pressworks Ink and Director of Print Manufacturing at Swift Communications speaks about how vital the printing press is, even if the digital age is catching up quickly. “I got into printing about 25 years ago and that's what I heard then,” Johnston states. “‘Printing is dead.’ That couldn't have been farther from the truth. I had one of my best revenue years last year, and if it wasn't for COVID 19 I would most likely have had another great year this year. With COVID 19 I lost about 50% of my business and had to lay off about 25% of my staff.”
COVID has caused many companies to lay off employees left and right, causing the industry to suffer. Many printing presses are utilizing online platforms, such as Pressworks Ink offers local newspapers like the Reno Gazette Journal. Since online journals are so popular and easy to access, most audiences who use their phone frequently are switching to reading their news online.
The Print Industry's Resilience: Surviving the Digital Age in Reno
As Rachel Nuwer of BBC Future states, “The affordances of screen reading will continuously improve and expand, offering people a reason to switch to screens.” While customers remain loyal to bases such as the Reno Gazette Journal, there is an interest in digital material more everyday.
However, this doesn’t stop audiences who rely on paper news to demand their product. Tammy Ruff, former librarian and podcaster for The Biggest Little Library speaks about the pros and cons of the press. She worked at North Valleys High School for several years, observing digital material becoming more and more accessible and popular over nearly a decade.
“There is a maximum amount of check outs, so as a school library, it is really hard to incorporate this with digital material,” Ruff states. “Class novel sets aren't difficult to obtain… The problem arrives when the child needs to access the copy for academic use.”
Ruff continues to say how difficult it is for students to annotate digital copies, causing the printing industry to stay in business for the sake of supplying schools with what they need. Retaining information by way of digital material is not as effective, Ruff mentions, as printed material allows students to dictate their thoughts in the margins of the text.
“Sure, there are apps to do this that help for annotating, like MarginNote – the limited version is free, the full version costs a few dollars. There are others you can buy as well. But that's the thing – this is just another cost in order to fulfill an assignment with the digital form, when students have a much easier time with a notepad and a book by their hand.” In addition to Ruff, Lindsay Wilson speaks of how the printing press is far from dying out.
Balancing Digital and Print: Reno’s Experts Weigh In
Wilson has been the head of TMCC’s The Meadow since 2006 as well as a professor in English Composition II. Wilson talks about how the printing press is a close second to the consumption rate of digital productions of news and literature. The Meadow is a local literary magazine that is printed for students – given free around campus, and provided an online presence accessible through the TMCC website.
Wilson states that we are not even taking the time to read through entire paragraphs. Because of this, it has become nearly impossible to want to read paper copies. As a consequence, news is being distributed by television and digital platforms in versions that give the topics their proper delivery.
Reno's Printing Press: A Vital Industry Despite Technological Growth
“It's really just soundbite, soundbite, soundbite, and then move on,” Wilson adds. “They can't cover the budget, healthcare, or anything else in a meaningful way because it's all entertainment news. It can't say what an article says. If someone gets into detail like that on television, it throws people off because it's too detail heavy.”
Wilson says this happens with students all the time. “It's so superficial - they skim. It's so unproductive. They only retain about a third of every article. I can’t look down on them too much though, because even my concentration is different now versus 15 years ago.”
Wilson and Ruff both can agree that the printing industry is necessary for one thing in particular: absorbing information. With the emergence of audiobooks and ebooks, as well as news, journals, and magazines online, there seems to be little need to order a physical copy. Regardless, it seems as though the community and loyal customers of the printed press collectively agrees on one thing – the printing press is definitely not dying out.
