MPA President Steps Down, Tablet Shipments Reach 18.2M for Q1, Rodale Launches an iPhone App, Who Says Print is Dead?, Digital-First Strategies

Welcome to TFP’s weekly roundup of interesting and noteworthy stories from the publishing world. This week we’re discussing MPA’s search for a new president, the state of the tablet market, Rodale’s new iPhone app, and more.

  • The MPA announced yesterday that Nina Link, its CEO and president, will be stepping down at the end of 2012. Link’s 13-year term as president is the longest in the organization’s history. Executive recruiting firm Blinkhorn LLC will be helping to identify her replacement.
  • According to a report released by ABI Research this week, the tablet market grew 185% in the first quarter of 2012 compared with the same period last year. Total tablet shipments reached 18.2 million, with Apple and Samsung the dominant brands.
  • Rodale is officially the first publisher in the U.S. to launch an iPhone Newsstand app, with its Men’s Health title. The September issue of Men’s Health will include special content designed for iPhone readers, expanding the magazine’s potential digital audience. Existing iPad subscribers will be able to access Men’s Health on their iPhones for free.
  • Who says print is dead? Eighty-eight percent of magazine consumers in the U.K. still prefer to read articles in print format, according a survey conducted by Deloitte. Of the 2,276 magazine readers surveyed, 50% said they own a smartphone, and 35% subscribed to at least one print magazine in 2011. These findings seem to support the notion that print isn’t dead, but “print only” is; consumers are looking for a balance between digital and printed content.
  • What is a “digital first” publishing strategy? Technology Review explains what it is and why the company is sifting to that model.

This Week in Publishing appears every Friday on the TFP blog. Every week we compile interesting and noteworthy stories from the publishing world and put together a wrap-up to help our readers stay up-to-date. Think we missed something great? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Posted by: tfpadmin

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