"Print publishing is back in style," says Charles Henderson, CEO NewsRX.com. Which is a funny quote from him because he's always been pushing-the-tech-envelope-guy in the subscription newsletter industry. He was one of the first to have a Web site, to begin syndication sales to Web sites, to use automated engines to scoop up news from electronic/online sources and repackage as newsletters, to test selling pay-by-report sales for groups of articles, etc.

He's still bullish on the Web. In fact last year he launched a streamed video series of coverage of health conferences ("video clips are kept to between 15 seconds and two minutes. If the video requires more than a minute or two, you'll lose your audience"). For the first time in perhaps 5-7 years, he thinks the future, for now anyway, is still print. professionals are back subscribing to print newsletters in huge numbers.
"NewsRx is experiencing its highest renewal rates in 20 years: over 90 percent of subscribers are opting to renew print titles."

This may have more to do with email overload and the slowing economy than anything else. I figure recipients are probably getting too much email and far less postal mail than they have in years. The little postal mail they do get, gets increased attention. Many marketers have told me in the past six months that postal direct mail response rates are up.

This isn't a trend for forever, but it's definitely a trend for first half 2003.

http://www.newsrx.com