The plight of ‘old media’ and newspapers in particular has been hot on the lips of everyone that works in the industry for years. Now a futurologist has come out and put his neck on the line by claiming that in the UK, newspapers will die in 2019.

It’s a bold assertion, especially since, just last week, the UK saw another national newspaper hit the newstands.

I always have my doubts about predictions like this and, despite the fact that I think digital media will inevitably spell the end of print as we know it, getting the exact date right is impossible and (in all likelihood) a bit gimmicky.

However, what is most interesting about this is the factors that Ross Dawson has used to base his projection (see graph below).

They range from technological (increase in mobile adoption etc.), economic, industrial (ad revenues, distribution, cost of paper), demographic, consumer behavioural and even governmental.

While you might not agree with the date, the factors are certainly worth reviewing as they will certainly be the ones that usher in the next era of digital media consumption.