Richard E. CaplanThe University of Akron

4. Magazines

Christopher BurnettCalifornia State, Long Beach

Magazines: Trends & Culture

• Sports Illustrated– Sports

• Glamour– 2 million readers

• Parenting– $200,000 in advertising

• Maxim– 2.5 million readers– Maxim Radio on SIRIUS

• Magazines reflect the culture

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es Leynes/Corbis

Colonial Magazines and Newspapers

• 50 years after the first colonial newspaper • American Magazine

– Philadelphia -1741 - three issues

• General Magazine – Benjamin Franklin - six issues

• Magazine v. Newspaper – Magazine: national politics, culture and ideas– Newspapers: daily events of local communities

The First National Mass Medium

• Magazines - first national medium – Newspapers local– Books expensive

• Magazine specialties – News– Culture– Entertainment

• Saturday Evening Post– First national publication,1821

Reaching New Readers

• Women’s Issues: Godey's Lady’s Book, 1830– Advice on morals, manners,

literature, fashion, diet

• Social Crusades: Ladies’ Home Journal, 1887– Advocated Pure Food & Drug Act of

1906

• The Arts - Harper’s, Atlantic Monthly 1850s

• Political Commentary - Nation, 1865; New Republic, 1914; Crisis, 1910

• Postal Act of 1879– Cheaper mailing rate for magazines

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an/Corbis

Fashion in Godey’s Lady’s Book

Investigative Journalism

• Muckrakers– Term coined by Teddy

Roosevelt who compared crusading reporters to the “Man with a Muckrake” in Pilgrim’s Progress

• Opposed relationship between big business and government

• Ida Tarbell and McClure’s – Targeted John D. Rockefeller

and Standard Oil, 1904Ida Tarbell

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Magazine Audiences • Two kinds of audience

– Definable, targeted, loyal audience

• Harold Ross’ The New Yorker – commentary, fiction and humor for sophisticated, wealthy

audience

– Broad, general readership • Henry Luce’s Time

– News & Comment in 28 pages

– “For people willing to spend a half hour to avoid being uninformed”

• Ebony and Jet, 1940s– 3 million readers

Specialized Magazines

• Decline of general interest magazines

• People want specialized information

• Three Types – Consumer Publications

– Trade, Technical and Professional Publications

– Company Publications

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Consumer Magazines

• Sold by subscription, at newsstands, at supermarkets, and at bookstores – Time, Glamour, Parenting and Maxim

• Make more money than other magazines

• Have the most readers• Supported by

– Sales– Advertising

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Trade, Technical and Professional Publications

• Professional associations

– Ex. American Medical News

• Universities– Ex. Columbia Journalism Review

• Company Magazines

– For employees, customers, stockholders – Ex. Chevron USA Odyssey – Usually don’t carry advertising

Magazine Categories

Illustration 4.1

Working for Magazines

• Editorial– Produces the content of the

magazine

• Circulation sales– Manages subscriptions

• Advertising sales– Sales of advertising space

• Manufacturing & distribution– Production and delivery of

the magazine

• Administration – Hiring, paying bills, etc.

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Working for Magazines

• Ad rates depend on circulation

• Circulation – Measured by the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC)

• Staff Writers

• Freelancers– Paid per article published

– Some specialize in a subject area

– Often write for more than one publication at a time

• Magazine career link

Magazine Business

• Smaller social role• Competition for specific

audiences• Largest magazine audience:

Women– “Point-of-purchase” (Checkout)

• Segmented Audiences– Special interests– Regions, age groups, etc.

• Magazine Launches– 1 in 3 survive 5 years– Limited pool of purchasers– Circulation down; Ad income up

AP

/Wide W

orld Photo

Johnson Publications

Top 10 U.S. Consumer Magazines

Illustration 4.2

A Valuable Audience

• Average magazine reader– High school graduate– Married– Owns a home– Works full time

• Attractive audience for advertisers • Pass along readership

– People keep magazines an average of 17 weeks

– Each magazine has an average of four readers – Better ad targeting

Ownership & Internet

• Industry sales– U.S. News for $100 million– Billboard for $40 million

• Refinement of audiences• Internet Editions

– Conferences with editors and newsmakers– Posting feedback on articles

• Internet Only Magazines– Salon– Slate

• Magazine Survival

Salon.com

/Slate.com

Magazines and the Web

Illustration 4.3

Critical Discussion

1. Will the marriage of magazines and other media, such as mobile phones increase magazine sales?

2. Will online only magazines be as profitable as print magazines?