Digital publishing and print publishing are alike in some ways, because many times they contain the same types of media; text and images. However, they present media in very different ways. Print publishing mainly focuses on the page and often relies on the viewer to turn the page to read a footnote or a cross-reference. Digital publishing frequently includes other forms of media such as audio and video, and uses hyperlinks or scrolling in order for the consumer to read further.
Digital media is usually a lot more interactive than print media, but both have their place. Many say that print is dying, but the truth is, balance is possible. Digital is not replacing print, it’s filling a niche that print never could. It allows information to be accessed quickly and allows for much more engagement with it. Anyone with Internet access can create and interact with it. It opens up many possibilities for things such as podcasts, webcomics, vlogs, and video games.
As this video shows, digital media is not just for entertainment. Video games are increasingly being used in education:
However, as many avid readers can attest, digital media cannot yet influence our senses of touch and smell the way a book can. While this may seem merely sentimental, it is an important thing to consider. Touch and smell are correlated strongly with memory and emotion, smell especially. It would be interesting to see if in the future the digital world will be as tangible as the analog world.
Despite this lack of engagement of two major senses, there’s no denying that digital media is immediately immersive. I’ve found myself lost in movies and video games the same way I get lost in a good book. It’s also much more accessible to people with disabilities. Print can be scaled larger with relative ease, and many computers have Ease of Access features that include a text to speech narrator and keyboard settings that accommodate mobility issues. More and more videos are being subtitled in multiple languages. Combining media makes sure more people get the message.