Don’t Confuse Me With The Truth

Every now and then journalist Steve Smith writes an article about the failure of digital magazines. Typically, he does this with no proof. Here’s his latest:

Companies like Zinio and Olive Software have
pushed unsuccessfully for years to move publishers and readers toward
downloadable and online digitized versions of the print experience, but
the “digital magazine” concept has yet to take off. Some business and
consumer publishers like Ziff Davis and Reed have gotten up to 15
percent of readers of select titles to accept electronic versions of
their print subscription, but even cheerleaders for the platform admit
that the digital magazine remains decidedly niche.

Let me get this straight: A product that accounts for 15% of readership (at a fraction of the cost) is "decidedly niche," according to the same guy who wrote that a product with less than 1% marketshare "changed everything." Huh?

Always a clever guy with the pen, Smith was eager to jot down this quote from David Renard: “It’s not that important and won’t be for a while,” he admits. In a conversation I had with Renard months ago, he told me that line was misquoted. However, if we want to say a quote’s a quote, here’s another one from Renard:

They (publishers) must formulate a
strategy for both their printed and digital magazines, which, combined,
will remain a significant part of their business, as well as for all
their other digital initiatives.

Which quote seems less apt to be misquoted to you? 

Understand, there’s nothing wrong with being skeptical about digital magazines and many great journalists are skeptical. Yet Smith seems to enjoy ignoring data and information in favor of his own mindsets and while that’s unsettling to see in anyone, it strikes us as more so for a writer supposedly covering the cutting edge.