Years ago, when the Internet was first forming into the communication medium it is today, some decried it as the death of print. Magazines would fold, bookstores would shutter their doors, and the local paperboy would be out of a job, they said. All because no one believed that people would still pay for content the Web could provide for free.

History has shown such fears to be unfounded. While it is true that the newspaper industry is currently experiencing hard times, that is more likely a result of the global economic crisis than any public dissatisfaction with the print medium. As irony would have it, the Web is actually developing tools that celebrate the printed page online. Companies are popping up all over the Web that let users electronically publish books, magazines, newsletters, and other materials traditionally printed on paper.

When emergency budget measures mandated a temporary suspension of printing and mailing expenditures at ECU, notable publications like East magazine, were forced to find a new way to provide its readers with the same quality stories, photographs, and art direction they have come to expect. It turned to the Web for help.

“A magazine is a sensory experience. The way the material is presented in a magazine is very important,” said East editor Steve Tuttle. “Photography, particularly in a magazine like ours, introduces the story. That’s one thing you often lose when you move your content to the Web.”

With that in mind, ECU searched for a solution that would retain the integrity of a printed publication, while still offering effective distribution to subscribers. After examining several options for online publication, the university decided to create a “shelf” at Issuu.com, a YouTube-of-sorts for magazines and other print publications.

A publication that is uploaded to Issuu.com is presented as a two-page spread that can be browsed within a Web page, or read in full-screen view. The result is an elegant bridge between a magazine one holds in his or her hands, and an article posted on a Web page.

“It’s actually a little bit counterintuitive because the easiest way to read a story online is through a Web page. And that’s what we had been doing until now,” said Tuttle. “But in doing that you lose the concept of a magazine as a printed piece, how it looks and how it feels as you flip through the pages. So, I think the enhancement that this technology gives you is that you really do get the sense that you are reading a magazine.”

As with YouTube, there is a social networking component to ECU’s Issuu.com shelf that offers additional benefit. Users can search Issuu.com for documents based on key words, so as the shelf grows with more diverse publications, there is a greater chance for people to be exposed to the university. It is also much easier to distribute publications via e-mail than with traditional PDF files because the document does not require downloading. Though downloading a PDF file is still an available option.

“Online publishing is certainly proving to be a valuable tool as East Carolina continues to explore options that enhance how the university reaches its many audiences,” said Jimmy Rostar, director of University Publications. “This type of technology allows for a cost-effective way of promoting the university and its good works while maintaining the identity standards that guide the production of ECU’s marketing materials.”

ECU began looking at viable online publishing solutions even before the economic crisis hit, understanding that as our students become increasingly Web savvy, online alternatives would become not only more accepted, but even expected. Clint Bailey, assistant vice chancellor for University Marketing, sees online publishing as yet another avenue for raising ECU's profile.

“This is really the opening of a new channel of distribution for materials that previously only existed as printed publications. Looking ahead, I think we will see in some cases that the online presentation will be the primary, if not the only place a publication appears, but in other cases, the online version will serve to complement or extend the printed circulation,” he said. “As with anything, understanding your audience and what is most effective for them will be the key.”

Those wishing to learn more about online publishing options can contact Jimmy Rostar, director of University Publications.

06-15-09