Over the period 2002-12, wage and salary employment in publishing, except software, is projected to decline by 1 percent, versus growth of 16 percent for all industries. As the need for news and information continues to grow, the publishing industry will be in the forefront. Books, newspapers, and magazines, produced in a variety of media, will be needed to keep people informed. However, efficiencies in production and a trend towards using more freelance writers will cause wage and salary employment to decline overall. Keen competition for jobs also can be expected for most writing and editing jobs, as this industry attracts a large number of applicants, especially at nationally known publications. Writers with specialized knowledge and those who can write on subjects appealing to minority and ethnic readers will have better job prospects.
The need for workers in the publishing industry also varies with the economy. When the economy is depressed, advertising declines and publishers look to cut costs and personnel. In addition, when the economy is down, State and local governments cut back on spending on books for schools and libraries.
Newspaper subscriptions have been declining for many years, as more people turn to television for much of their news. Many people also are turning to Internet news sites. In addition, as the population becomes more diverse and spread out, newspaper publishers are finding that their costs are going up as they attempt to increase readership by adding more stories of interest to ethnic and suburban audiences. However, mergers in the industry have also made newspapers more efficient. Reporters and advertising agents can now write stories or sell advertising for several newspapers at once and multiple newspapers can now be printed at one location. Those working in company administration also are more productive. Although the number of mergers is expected to decline in the next decade, additional efficiencies are expected to decrease the number of people required to produce a newspaper. These efficiencies will be particularly apparent in the printing plants. As computerization of the printing process becomes widespread, more printing plates will be made directly from electronic images of publications’ pages, which have been developed, stored, and transmitted by computer, Employment of prepress technicians and printing machine operators is expected to decline because fewer will be needed to operate the new computerized equipment.
It also is anticipated that the Federal Communications Commission will relax the rules banning ownership of television stations and newspapers in the same market. If this happens, workers may be required to work in both the broadcast and print mediums. Photographers, for example, will also have to learn to use video cameras.
Periodical and book publishing, along with miscellaneous publishing, will likely grow more slowly than in the past. Although mergers are becoming less frequent within the book publishing business, they are expected to continue in magazine publishing, leading to more efficiencies and reduced labor needs. However, several types of publishing should see increased growth. The segment of the industry producing textbooks is expected to benefit from a growing number of high school and college students over the next decade and the need to implement new learning standards in classrooms. Technical and scientific books and journals also will be needed to relay new discoveries to the public. Custom publishing, in which a magazine publisher produces customized newsletters and magazines for clients, also is expected to grow, as more businesses and organizations use magazines to promote new products and retain customer loyalty.
Job openings for advertising sales agents will be in rough balance with the supply of workers, as this occupation is subject to more turnover than most. The need for more sales agents to sell for a wider range of mediums will be offset, at least in part, by the fact that mergers have resulted in fewer advertising agencies to deal with.
The best job opportunities in the future will be for those who have good computer skills and can work in multiple mediums. Most newspapers and magazines, in particular, now have Web sites that are regularly updated. Some of these sites require additional writers, reporters, and editors to update content. The sites also need Web coders and designers and other computer experts to maintain the sites. The production of e-books, which are likely to grow in popularity over the next decade, will require people skilled in incorporating graphics and other digital inputs.
Technological advances will continue to eliminate and change jobs in this industry. Prepress technicians and postpress workers (inserters, material handlers, and bundlers) will continue to lose jobs to automation. The production jobs that remain will require computer and mathematical skills.