At the start of the year it is traditional, nay almost obligatory, for editors and commentators to look forward to the next 12 months and to try to anticipate what lies ahead for their readers. Optimism is the order of the day as we try to find positive aspects of the new year, something that in 2021 is more challenging than ever. And any positive predictions are likely to be dashed away as events unfold: the arrival of even more virulent forms of Covid-19 for example.
The last year has been so draining across the industry, across the whole country, that nobody can welcome a repeat. But the signs are that there will be no let up in the wading through the custard that remains in the Christmas trifle for the next few weeks at least. Beyond that, much depends on the impact of the country’s vaccination programme which is providing some chinks of light through the gloom. At least the worst Brexit disaster has been averted, even if nobody yet knows what will happen in the short to medium to long term.
Beyond the remains of the seasonal dessert, there are real reasons for hope. The reading of books has picked up during this period. The value of printed books for schools is no longer questioned. The rise of ecommerce will be good for print in both packaging and marketing to drive consumers back to websites. And the absolute sham of online advertising is increasingly apparent. The pendulum is swinging back from digital. We can therefore wish for a Happy New Year – even if the start of 2021 has been delayed to 1 April.
Happy New Year on hold
At the start of the year it is traditional, nay almost obligatory, for editors and commentators to look forward to the next 12 months and to try to anticipate what lies ahead for their readers. Optimism is the order of the day as we try to find positive aspects of the new year, something that in 2021 is more challenging than ever. And any positive predictions are likely to be dashed away as events unfold: the arrival of even more virulent forms of Covid-19 for example.
The last year has been so draining across the industry, across the whole country, that nobody can welcome a repeat. But the signs are that there will be no let up in the wading through the custard that remains in the Christmas trifle for the next few weeks at least. Beyond that, much depends on the impact of the country’s vaccination programme which is providing some chinks of light through the gloom. At least the worst Brexit disaster has been averted, even if nobody yet knows what will happen in the short to medium to long term.
Beyond the remains of the seasonal dessert, there are real reasons for hope. The reading of books has picked up during this period. The value of printed books for schools is no longer questioned. The rise of ecommerce will be good for print in both packaging and marketing to drive consumers back to websites. And the absolute sham of online advertising is increasingly apparent. The pendulum is swinging back from digital. We can therefore wish for a Happy New Year – even if the start of 2021 has been delayed to 1 April.
Gareth Ward
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