(Newser)
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Newsweek is canning its iconic print edition and going completely digital at the beginning of 2013, according to a not-entirely-shocking memo to staff from Tina Brown, who has served as editor-in-chief of both Newsweek and the Daily Beast since the companies merged. Brown cited a "tipping point at which we can most efficiently and effectively reach our readers in all-digital format," adding that "this was not the case just two years ago." The announcement, foreshadowed in July by Barry Diller, comes amid difficulty in the print media industry and growth in digital readership, the AP notes. The last print edition will be Dec. 31.
Staff cuts are expected. After the final print issue, readers can pay for an online subscription tailored for e-readers and tablets, with some content also available on the Daily Beast. The online entity, Newsweek Global, will be "a single, worldwide edition," Brown writes."We are transitioning Newsweek, not saying goodbye to it. We remain committed to Newsweek and to the journalism that it represents." The AP points out that Newsweek, which has been in print for 80 years, is just the latest publication to take the all-digital route—SmartMoney shut down its print publication in June.
