how a rise in publishing costs is affecting street papers by Tony Inglis / courtesy of INSP.ngo
Several street papers in the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) have noticed a rise in printing and publishing costs. INSP spoke to Maja Ravanska, project manager and managing editor of North Macedonian street paper Lice v Lice. INSP: You've mentioned that the increasing price of publishing a physical magazine is putting strain on your organization. How much are costs increasing, and what is the effect? Maja Ravanska: We started planning our 10th anniversary (which is this year), and we thought that the worst was over, but we got a note from the printing house about increasing prices for printing. In March, we were notified of a third increase in price, and now we have 30 per cent higher printing costs compared to 2020. Have you put into place any methods to try and combat this? The printing costs are not the only challenge. The pandemic accelerated the digitization process, but also changed consumer habits. There are major transformations in social habits of users worldwide. It’s all focused on digital channels, digital media and digital ways of communication. On the other hand, we have vendors with very limited digital skills. Regarding the printed edition - instead of bimonthly, the magazine is now printed once every three months, and we reduced the number of pages. At the moment, we are looking into solutions to print on cheaper paper, and to look for a different format, or even a different product. We’ve also had to reduce staff. What are the reasons behind this price hike? Is it the general cost of living rise we are witnessing, or is it something impacted by specific events? The answers that we are receiving from printing houses are that with digitization processes, that the pandemic accelerated, print media is more at risk than ever. Also, the war in Ukraine is causing numerous market challenges. The supply of paper is limited because of the very limited circulation of print media in the country. All of this together is a major blow to the printing industry, and for print media outlets such as ours. The pandemic caused street papers to think about the concept and how it exists in a modern, digital age, but we saw street papers adapt in order to continue existing. Do you see production costs skyrocketing as a bigger threat? Do you think the street paper concept is facing a reckoning?
Yes, definitely. We are witnessing that in general, printed media is having difficulties. The digital era is taking its toll. Millennials, Gen Z-ers, they don’t receive information in formats like print magazines. Even our grandmothers are on social media while drinking their morning coffee. I believe that being part of an international network is very important in this regard – we should learn from each other and find solutions that could work for the whole street paper model. What advice do you have for other street papers that are facing similar problems? We have to discuss joint solutions as a network. We need a product that will sustain the mission but will offer ways of communication in line with the needs of the audiences that are using digital channels. Courtesy of the International Network of Street Papers
Maja Ravanska. Inset: A current edition of Lice v Lice (both photos provided by INSP).
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