Sophie Baillie, PR & Marketing Director:

• Happy Birthday to The Guardian
• How social media has changed the media landscape
• The magic of print publications

This time last year, we were witnessing the devastating effects that COVID-19 was having on the press and on the journalists who worked in the industry, in particular, in print. I was truly saddened to read about the number of job losses, and the influential and niche trade and consumer publications closing their doors; some for a limited time but some for good. Fast forward to present day and I was pleased to read that The Guardian has recently celebrated its 200^th birthday – a beacon of hope for the industry.

There is no denying that the media landscape has changed significantly, especially over the last 10 years, with the growing need for publications to be innovative in how they reach and appeal to their audiences and, of course, to make a profit; I believe that the rapid growth of social media has heavily influenced this. What has been incredibly interesting to witness is the rise in news outlets born out of social media. If you are a user of social media sites such as Facebook, the chances that you have seen one or many of the viral video clips promoted from the Lad Bible Group must be close to 100%. The creative brains behind the Lad Bible Group redefined news for what they like to call “the social generation”, and this has led to the publishing group becoming one of the biggest social publishers in the world, with a global audience approaching almost one billion.

I, for one, cannot deny that I am a huge fan of Lad Bible Group content. Most recently, its team of journalists has upped its game with hard-hitting news, informing an age group that stereotypically may not be as in tune with, or aware of, the daily headlines as others. What I think is so clever about the Lad Bible Group is that it is differentiating its brand from the hilarious viral videos it was originally well known for, by posting informed news articles, which has given the publishing house even more clout.

That said, instant digital content at my finger tips does not give me the same feeling as when I am holding a physical newspaper or magazine – be that flicking through the newspapers each day at my work desk, reading our weekly subscription to Tes magazine to keep abreast of everything happening in the world of education, our monthly subscription to Stylist, or my personal favourite, picking up the Tesco magazine for yummy recipes and inspiration (other supermarket magazines are available). There is something about holding a printed newspaper (despite the inky fingers) or glossy magazine that I just love, and I think that many people will resonate with this feeling too. Perhaps I look at print media with rose-tinted glasses from my journalism days…

So, while I expect, and am excited, to continue to see creative digital developments from some of my favourite publications and publishing houses, I truly believe that print, in some form or other, is here to stay and will stand the test of time. Who is with me?