Why are print newspapers shutting down presses, and book publishers decrying where their readers went? Today's NY Times essentially says this:
(Charts, of course, not based on actual statistics; for descriptive purposes only)
Consumers are increasingly avoiding newspapers - and books, too - because the text mode is now used so infrequently that it can feel like a burden. People are showing a clear preference for a fully formed video experience that comes ready to play on a screen, requiring nothing but our passive attention.
The video mode has been reinforced by the rise of YouTube. In December, almost 100 million viewers in the United States watched 5.9 billion YouTube videos, according to comScore. Tellingly, YouTube has not cannibalized TV viewership - it has instead carved out another chunk of our leisure time for video on a screen.