After 279 years in print, Lloyd’s List, the shipping industry’s bible, is going fully digital.
The daily started as a notice pinned to the wall of a London coffee shop that offered information on ships coming in and out of port and what goods they carried. It will stop print publication on December 20, 2013.
“This is just a natural part of our evolution,” says editor Richard Meade. “We haven’t changed that much. But now (customers) can access us in any coffee shop in the world.”
A survey carried out earlier this year found that only 25 customers used the print edition alone.
Mr. Meade says that while nostalgia weighs on the company’s shoulders, customers pay a premium for information and don’t want to wait for it to come by post.
