The National Geographic Society was created on January 13, 1888 by thirty-three scientist at the Cosmos Club in Washington DC. Nine months later the National Geographic Society published it's first magazine. The magazine presents stories about geography, history, culture, current events, science, and displays amazing photography. But I'm not here today to tell you the history of the National Geographic because you can check this out Wikipedia or the National Geographic web site. Today I want to describe their use of old media and new media, which I will describe in detail below.
The National Geographic drives to educate its readers instead of simply entertaining them, as most mainstream magazines do. Instead of providing readers with articles on topics such as working out, makeup, or celebrities, the National Geographic presents articles on topics such as African religions, the sinking of the Titanic, the nomadic tribes of Papua New Guinea, and tsunamis. The advertising that you will see in the pages of the National Geographic is minimal compared what you will find in the majority of magazines. When looking through the magazine you will generally only see ads at the beginning and end of the magazine. Most of the advertisements are full page ads for products like Rolex, Canon, Nikon, and Toyota. The National Geographic Society is a non-profit organization, and their goal is to spread information rather than make money. The lack of advertising in the pages of the National Geographic helps you to focus on the story at hand instead of being distracted by the advertisements. The National Geographic is a very visual magazine, and there are eye-catching photographs on nearly every page. The text in the National Geographic is generally small, and this helps them fit in as much information as possible. The featured articles in the National Geographic are long and in-depth, when most magazines contains articles that are only a few pages long. For example, an article on the sinking of the Titanic in the April 2012 spans nearly thirty pages, with some of the pages containing only pictures. The National Geographic magazine provides articles on topics, and in essence it brings the world to your fingertips. There are obscure topics from around the world that you can read about in the National Geographic, such as how South American cultures made shrunken heads.
The NatGeo stands apart from its competition because of its educational focus. It seems more like a scholarly journal than a magazine. The National Geographic is heavy on content and light on the entertainment "fluff" that fills most magazines. NatGeo is also unique because of the dramatic photography that fills its pages, like pictures of remote corners of the world that the reader would otherwise never get to see. The National Geographic is known for high-quality award-winning photography, and in 2006 they even began an international photography competition.
NatGeo is available in print (old media) and online (new media). While the written content is basically the same in both versions, the online version offers multi-media features that the magazine simply cannot. In the online version of National Geographic, you will find extra features such as videos and interactive maps. The old media version of NatGeo is much more limited in what it can provide. Through the development of technology, the online version of NatGeo is able to be much more creative and interactive. You can even follow NatGeo on Facebook and Twitter and "Like" a story or image. The online version of NatGeo is able to provide information in "real time" as well. For example, they are featuring a climb of Mount Everest, and the online version is able to allow the reader to follow along with the expedition as it happens instead of after the fact. Another difference between the two versions of the magazine is in the advertising. While the advertising in minimal in the online version as well as the print version, the online version seems to offer lower-end items such as candy and razors, while the print version advertises high-end items such as fancy watches and cars. Perhaps this difference is evidence that they are aiming the old media and new media versions of National Geographic at different niches. Maybe the old media and new media are even geared for different generations. Another simple but significant difference between the print and "web browser" online versions of National Geographic is that you only have to pay to read the print version. When using a web browser, most of the content on National Geographic's web site is free. This could allow for a larger and more diverse audience of readers. This being said, not all online versions of NatGeo are free--for example a monthly subscription on the Kindle Fire costs $2.00 a month.
As I mentioned above, there seem to be different target audiences for the print an online versions of NatGeo. The print version seems to be geared towards an older and wealthier audience. For example, you will find advertisements for Rolex in the print version. The online version of NatGeo seems to be geared towards more of a general audience, and everyday items such as candy and razors are advertised. The only real evidence of a target audience is in the advertising, because the content in the print and online versions of NatGeo is very similar. The content of NatGeo is simply geared towards any reader who wants to learn. The National Geographic is a very reader-friendly publication, and there are no offensive messages or stereotypes portrayed in its pages.
Both versions of NatGeo have strengths and weaknesses. In the print version, the full-page pictures are very striking and you do not quite get the same effect with the layout of the online version. Another strength of the print version is that you can keep an issue and read it over and over throughout the years. Old issues of National Geographic are even collectible. One weakness of the print version is that you do not have the option of interactive learning. Furthermore, in the print version you are limited to access only the information that has been published and do not have access to "real time" updates. The online version of National Geographic has a strength in that it is able to incorporate media beyond just print and pictures, and it is even able to allow interactive learning. The online web-browser version of NatGeo is free, which is another advantage. Furthermore, it is very easy to access only the information that you are interested in--if you are not interested in a particular story you just don't click on that link. The online version also has weaknesses. One of the primary limitations is its accessibility. If you don't have access to the internet, you are out of luck. Another limitation of the online version is that it limits the target audience. If you are not comfortable using the internet (like some of the older generation), you won't read the online version of NatGeo. Ultimately, the online version of NatGeo is able to offer more to its readers because of its multimedia and interactive capabilities. For this reason only would I say that it better serves its targeted audience.
There are many ways to interact with NatGeo beyond reading when you access it online. On the website, you can use interactive features such as a map where you can click on different views of the ascent of K2. You can also play games or create online jigsaw puzzles our of a picture. You can follow stories and "like" stories or images through social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. You can also order a print of many of the pictures that you see on their website.
After looking into the "new" and "old" media associated with NatGeo I have become curious what other well established magazines or even newspapers have changed since expanding into the online frontier. I hope that you have learned new things about NatGeo before today I never explored their online site and now see many benefits to it. I encourage people to look at what magazine or paper you read and look for it online. And see what you've been missing out on.
Sources: Wikipedia
National Geographic Magazine
