4. Magazines
Richard E. Caplan
The University of Akron
Christopher Burnett
California State, Long Beach
Magazines: Trends & Culture
• Sports Illustrated
– Sports
• Glamour
– 2 million readers
• Parenting
– $200,000 in advertising
• Maxim
• Magazines reflect the
culture
©James Leynes/Corbis
– 2.5 million readers
– Maxim Radio on SIRIUS
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
– Cheaper mailing rate for magazines
Bettman/Corbis
• The Arts - Harper’s, Atlantic
Monthly 1850s
• Political Commentary - Nation,
1865; New Republic, 1914; Crisis,
1910
• Postal Act of 1879
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
Bettmann/Corbis
• Opposed relationship
between big business and
government
• Ida Tarbell and McClure’s
Ida Tarbell
– Targeted John D. Rockefeller
and Standard Oil, 1904
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
©James Leynse/Corbis
• Three Types
– Consumer Publications
– Trade, Technical and
Professional Publications
– Company Publications
Consumer Magazines
• Sold by subscription, at newsstands, at
supermarkets, and at bookstores
– Time, Glamour, Parenting and Maxim
– Sales
– Advertising
jmmelton/motleyimage
• Make more money than other
magazines
• Have the most readers
• Supported by
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
Greg Paris/morguefile.com
– Manages subscriptions
• Advertising sales
– Sales of advertising space
• Manufacturing &
distribution
– Production and delivery of
the magazine
• Administration
– Hiring, paying bills, etc.
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.
– 1 in 3 survive 5 years
– Limited pool of purchasers
– Circulation down; Ad income up
AP/Wide World Photo
• Magazine Launches
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
• Magazine Survival
Salon.com/Slate.com
– Salon
– Slate
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?