Act 5 Conference: 'Print is Not Dead'

Last week ushered in a week of excitement following the glorious and historical victory against Alabama. More importantly, however, the week ushered in the fifth annual conference sponsored by the Magazine Innovation Center, otherwise known as the Act 5 Conference.
Oxford was overwhelmed with the announcement and excitement of Katy Perry entering the stage of ESPN’s College GameDay. Little did they know that the Magazine Innovation Center welcomes in fresh talent and intellectual capacities each and every year, for the last five consecutive years.
This conference began Tuesday at 6 p.m. with dinner and ended on a high note on Friday around noon. Everyone was able to take refuge on their own after each session of the conference, perhaps take a tour around the beautiful campus of Ole Miss or explore the depths of the renowned Oxford Square.
There were quite a few notable speakers and presenters, and they ranged from top publishing companies, editors of world renown magazines, such as Essence and National Geographic, to successful marketers and heads of advertising agencies from across the world.
The conference discussed the various elements of the magazine and media world and the arising issues in the industry. One recurring facet and issue that has been discussed and continues to be discussed throughout the Act Conferences is the ever-relenting idea of whether or not print is dead or it is still alive and booming.
There were various discussions and debates on both sides, and some of the industry leaders even went a different route and proclaimed that print is in fact not dead and actually works alongside with digital. Michael Clinton, the President and Publishing Director of Hearst Magazines, discussed the successes of the Food Network Magazine, launched during the recession of 2008, and its estimated “$100 million” of revenue, brazenly trumpeting the competitors of print with the question of, “How can this happen in a world where ‘print is dead’?”
William “Billy” Morris III, the chairman of Morris Communications, spoke on the rise of online journalism and proclaims that, “Even as challenges continue and more emerge, journalism continues to emerge.” He then challenges those in the business to put themselves “in the shoes of your primary audience” and proclaims the importance of maintaining “trust and confidence” in the readers and audience.
On the other side of the discussion, Bob “Bo” Sacks tailored the discussion to bringing the media from print to digital. He hinted on the art of story-telling as starting from ‘Folklore’, and as story-telling has changed over the years, so now are we in the “transformation stage” from print to digital.
The group even took a trip down to the Mississippi Delta on the second day of the Conference, touring the Shack Up Inn and The Blues Museum, followed up by a dinner at Ground Zero, Morgan Freeman’s notorious Blues Joint. Participants of the conference were even encouraged to participate in the ‘Act 5 Band’ if they were at all ‘musically inclined.’
The Act 5 Conference was definitely an exciting and interesting event and a good time was had by all, including students, faculty, and leaders of the media industry. For more information on the Act 5 Conference, including more detailed information on the speakers and presentations, feel free to access the information here.
Staff writer Sam Mitchell attended all of the sessions and captured these images throughout the Act 5 Conference. For more information, contact her at smitche3@go.olemiss.edu.