An Aside: Editor & Publisher Goes Under

This has nothing to do with the Middle East, but as an Editor and de facto Publisher I can't help but note that the venerable Editor & Publisher and the respected Kirkus Reviews are going to close at the end of the year. These were trade publications not well known to the general public, but they're a sign of the shrinkage of print journalism generally. The future is increasingly electronic.

The Middle East Journal is already available in electronic-only form as well as hard copy, and some of the scholarly publications in the physical sciences are rapidly moving toward all-digital. I think in our field it will take a bit longer for paper to completely disappear, given conservatism in the region we cover and in the old guard of the social sciences, but the death of Editor & Publisher and of several long-established daily newspapers recently suggests the handwriting is on the wall.

Why do you think I'm blogging?