These days, a lot of people are predicting the downfall of print media. And why wouldn’t they? Readers are changing the way they consume news. Articles are going online, readership is dropping, ad revenue is falling, space for content is shrinking and the industry as a whole has experienced round after round of layoffs, bankruptcies and closings. There is even a Web site dedicated to tolling the death knell of newspapers, http://www.newspaperdeathwatch.com.

But guess what? Print media may be in peril, but it isn’t dead yet.

According to a July 16 article in USA Today, nearly half of all adults read a newspaper every day, and last year, they spent $10.5 billion to do so! And the Newspaper Association of America is quick to remind us that nearly 115 million adults read a copy of a daily or Sunday newspaper each week, accounting for about 74 percent of adults who reside in the United States’ top 50 markets. That’s a lot of people.

For these reasons print media is still an essential arrow in the public relations quiver. While online news sites and social media have made it easier than ever to consume news, it isn’t an end-all-be-all solution. Millions of people still depend on print media to deliver the news.

It’s all about the audience.

Some companies have business models, customer bases or areas of expertise that are ideal for targeting the online news community. Take the shoe company Candies, for example. The company recently launched an advertising campaign via Facebook and BritneySpears.com – then promoted the campaign via Twitter – a full four days before launching the campaign in traditional media outlets.

By creating buzz in online communities where its target audience, tween girls, resides, the Candies brand is hoping to snag a big percentage of back-to-school spending.

But some clients have business models, customer bases or areas of expertise that simply don't translate to online media or social networking. These companies, and the audiences they communicate with, find a lot of value in a front-page story or a bylined article in a trade magazine. They're invested in seeking out those opportunities and mining them for all they're worth.

So while Wordsworth is diving deep into social media space, we remain invested in print media, too.

We recognize that print media might be in need of a little facelift. We know that social media, online news outlets, podcasts, video blogs and Twitter are changing the way media is delivered and consumed. But for now, and in the very near future, we’re committed to keeping print media a part of the marketing-communications mix we recommend to clients. So we’ll be keeping our subscription to the Cincinnati Enquirer and the Wall Street Journal for a long time to come.