Defeating the Digital Myth

"Even those publishers who are expanding and going into digital work, it's still based on print and, with few exceptions, no one is divorcing print to focus on digital," he adds.

Magazines that banish the print edition generally sign their own death warrant, Dr. Husni notes, and none are thriving as online-only editions. He cited some B2B and niche IT publications that don't rely on newsstand visibility. And for those who drop the print edition, it's a matter of not having a sustainable advertising revenue model.