Pacific Island Times October 2019 Vol 3 No. 10 | Page 4

FROM THE PUBLISHER’S DESK What print apocalypse? Y ou are holding this paper. Let’s have an intimate talk. You and me. I am talking to you personally without any digital ad popping up and intruding your mental space as you sip your coffee. Ah, the old-fashioned way of read- ing the news and opinions. You are feeling the paper’s texture. The trees lend themselves to information and literacy. During my recent trip in Michi- gan, I stood at a store in front of a four-layer newspaper rack, stacked with Detroit News, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Grand Rapids Press. Resting on the cashier counter were copies of The Ann Arbor News, Grand Traverse Herald and Northern Express filled with community stories. Why does the internet say print is dead? To be honest, I had my own doubts too when I launched the Pacific Island Times three years ago with the help of my colleagues Louella Losinio, Gerry Partido, Jan Furukawa, Bruce Lloyd, our local contributing writers and regional correspondents. It seemed like an insane idea, I admit. Guam is a small market and without any investor backing up a seemingly quixotic project, how could an independent publication survive? That, and the taunting of the digital converts. Turns out, there is a gap that we have managed to fill with long-form journalism, opinion-driven pieces and regional coverage. Our print subscriptions continue to grow and advertising support pours in. Next year, we will publish our 4 Today’s world is shaped by information, whose substance is better absorbed if processed slowly and personally. This is the charm of the print. As you turn the pages, your curiosity is piqued and your anticipation is satisfied. second edition of Turning Points, an annual magazine licensed by the New York Times Licensing Group, which features opinion pieces by political, cultural and economic thinkers who look at trends and ideas from around the world to identify key turning points and explain how they may influence the years ahead. This month is our third year in business and we are taking this opportuni- ty to thank our supporters, subscribers, advertisers and our contributing writers, who make this publication happen every month. Our Yap corre- spondent Joyce McClure dealt with the wrath of some people with her hard-hitting investigative stories about corruption and shenanigans. But she does not cave in to threats, true to the end of telling stories that must be told. Today’s world is shaped by infor- mation, whose substance is better absorbed if processed slowly and personally. This is the charm that the print brings. As you turn the pages, your curiosity is piqued and your anticipation is satisfied. “It is pleasingly static, momentarily a settled matter,” Andrew Ferguson writes in The Atlantic. “In a news- paper, the world presents itself in discrete stages—or on stage sets, I should probably say—and each set will be dismantled or rearranged by the time tomorrow’s performance begins.” Smart advertisers recognize the un- faded value of print. Clicking away a pop-up ad is the reader’s reflex. Whereas, print ads engage the eyes and invite full attention. A recent neurological study has identified differences in ways people process information presented in print and on screen. These studies have found that readers of print maintain their capaci- ty to read for longer and tend to focus more on what they are reading. “In many ways, print is the ideal marketing medium: it’s available in both large and small numbers, can be accessed easily and it is engaging, versatile and creative. Each of the main types of print media has their own unique quality and role in their readers’ lives,” writes Karen Lambert a blogger for Happy Creative. “Because print is easily put down and picked up, it creates a presence and sticks around in the household or workplace, and can be read again and again by others that come across it,” she added. The paper won’t crash when the power goes out or when your phone battery dies. As The Atlantic’s Ferguson says, some joys can’t be digitized. Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Mar-Vic Cagurangan [email protected] Contributing Writers Raquel Bagnol Zaldy Dandan Jayne Flores Jeni Ann Flores Ken Leon Guerrero Theodore Lewis Diana Mendoza Jonathan Perez Alex Rhowuniong Johanna Salinas Joy Santamarina Visual Editor Mar-Vic Cagurangan Sales and Marketing Executive Jan SN Furukawa [email protected] Account Executive Anna Marie Alegre [email protected] Administrative Assistant Lolita Therrel [email protected] *** Pacific Independent News Service LLC Tumon Sands Plaza 1082 Pale San Vitores Rd. Tumon Guam 96931 Telephone: [phone] Email: [email protected] Website: www.pacificislandtimes.com The Pacific Island Times is published monthly and circulated in Guam and Palau by the Pacific Independent News Service LLC. Editorial and advertising submissions become property of the Pacific Island Times and cannot be lifted without consent of the publisher. Views and opinions from contributors do not necessarily represent the editorial position of the Pacific Island Times.