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Friday, February 19, 2010

It's Happening in the Learning Industry: Training Magazine and Web Site Shutting Down

Apparently, it is not just the newspaper business that is in trouble, the trade publication magazine business isn't so hot either. Training Magazine and the associated web site are being moth balled at the end of March.

As a sometimes contributor to the TrainingDay blog, it is will be sad to see it closed as well.

Here is an excerpt from Nielsen shuts down 'Training'

Nielsen Business Media told employees Tuesday that it is shutting down Training magazine and its companion Web site, trainingmag.com, according to a Nielsen Co. spokesperson.

The March issue will be the publication's last. The move includes the elimination of 11 positions, the spokesperson said

What does this mean for the learning and development industry? I don't think it will mean a whole lot as much of the monies and advertising dollars in the past few years have gone toward technology focused trade publications in our industry. Tech always seems to have money for advertising.

One of the items that led to lower trade publication subscription rates is that a lot of information that use to be found only in the trade publication can now be found all over the Internet with no cost to the person who needs to learn the information or become part of a community of practice.

Learning communities around topics traditionally covered in trade publications are readily available and, because it is a community, more content is available.

Case in point, a source has told me that the Training Magazine Network with over 12,000 members will continue into the future.


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3 comments:

Mark said...

". . . advertising dollars in the past few years have gone toward technology focused trade publications in our industry."

This news confirms what I am personally experiencing. I've been out of work since the first of the year, and have experience as a training facilitator. I'm using my free time at home while job searching to build my e-learning technology skills.

Unknown said...

The news of the Magazine being shut down, has put some things into perspective for me. i seemed to have always thought that the training and advertisement industry was recession proof and though this is a magazine company, it just goes to show that nothing is recession proof. Also, this is a prime example of the increased access to internet and other online sources out there that.

Karl Kapp said...

Mark,

It if you look at the advertisements of training related publications, the majority are related to technology-based training solutions, those companies have invested a lot in advertising in the training industry, in the future, anyone in the field will have to have the skills related to e-learning and the skills related to traditional training delivery...most importantly the understanding of design of instruction for any delivery (technology or classroom based)

Dav45684, unfortunately, just when organizations should be investing in their people and upgrading skills, they are cutting back on training, also, I think the web is having in impact. Look at the Huffington Post and what it is doing to the New York Times and other newspapers and you can see the profound impact (for better or worse) that the web is having on print media. It trully is a different ball game and we need to adapt.