Fall 2012 issue of Horizons

MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

A Look at the Evolution of Publishing by Jessica Sackman, CPA

S ixty years ago marked a time of change, not only because RubinBrown was formed, but also because it represented a time when the publishing industry fought its first major battle. In the early `50s, a war between the newspaper and radio industries erupted. American newspapers tried to force the Associated Press to terminate news service to radio stations. Flash-forward sixty years to today, and the war that publishers fight is with much beloved, as well as maligned, technology.

Yet throughout history, the publishing industry has weathered these sorts of challenges and its past offers some optimism for the future. A look over the past 60 years demonstrates the evolution of technology as well as political and cultural changes within the industry. The Challenges For Newspapers Evidenced by President Eisenhower’s 20-second campaign spot run in 1952, newspapers began to face serious challenges as radio became increasingly popular. Just two short years later, radios outnumbered newspapers by far. Then not far behind, television surpassed newspapers as a source of information by 1960. Since the

page 36 | horizons Fall 2012