The Dynamics of Mass Communication Joseph R. Dominick Seventh Edition

Part 2 The Print Media

Chapter 5 Magazines

Magazines: Magazines: A Short Etymology In colonial times the word magazine meant a warehouse or depository, and print magazines ever since that time have patterned themselves after that model, offering up a storehouse of facts, opinion, news, features, and attractive graphics.

Colonial Magazine History Written with the educated elite in mind, and with a strong political bias, most colonial magazines quickly folded simply because they couldn’t make money. However, they had a lasting impact; it was both to encourage literary and artistic expression and to unify the colonies during the Revolutionary War.

The Penny Press Era The Penny Press Era 1820s – 1860s Magazines begin appealing to mass audiences Content centers on middle class concerns, social crusades, women’s issues, and sensationalism Stories often feature the best American writers

The Magazine Boom The Magazine Boom 1860s – 1900s Between there was almost a 700 percent increase in new magazines (260 to 1800). The boom was due in large part to:. more available venture capital. improved printing techniques. lower magazine prices. The Postal Act of 1879 (discounted mailing rates)

Between World Wars I and II The big change in magazines during this time was a move toward content specialization, giving rise to three new genres: the digest, as in Readers Digest the news weekly, as in Time the pictorial magazine, as in Life and Look

The Post WW II Period Continued focus on content specialization Narrowly defined audiences New magazines spawned by social changes increases in leisure time, more money emerging ethnic identities new urban and suburban lifestyle interests swing toward more liberal views

Contemporary Magazine Industry The 1980s – 1990s saw several important new trends in the magazine industry: greater concentration of ownership general decline in single-copy sales continued focus on content specialization, aiming for an increasingly smaller and more homogeneous groups more magazines continued to go online largest publisher (Time Warner) merges with largest online provider, America Online (AOL)

Symbiosis: Symbiosis: Magazines in the Digital Age Magazines and the Web have proven to be good allies in terms of shared referrals, mutual outlets for parent company goods and services, and the potential to be reciprocal revenue boosters Most publications now hold a “must have” attitude about complementary web sites

DEFINING FEATURES OF MAGAZINES Magazines, more than any other mass medium, can attract and hold specialized audiences ·Magazines are the one medium most in tune with social, economic, demographic, and cultural trends ·Magazines have the power to influence social trends ·They offer a convenient high-quality format of portability and outstanding graphics

MAGAZINE INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION Magazines could be classified in any number of ways, but these two categories are the most common: 1. by content 2. by manufacturing process

Content Categories general consumer magazines function of Standard Rate and Data Service business or trade publications vertical vs. horizontal magazines literary reviews and academic journals newsletters public relations magazines

Function Categories Production Distribution Circulation = subscription + single-copy sales. paid circulation. controlled circulation Retailing

MAGAZINE OWNERSHIP M ergers and acquisitions have produced an industry dominated by large corporations, though concentrated ownership isn’t as pronounced as it is in the newspaper or broadcast industries.

PRODUCING THE MAGAZINE Departments and Staff Circulation Advertising and Sales Production Editorial

MAGAZINE ECONOMICS Four basic sources of magazine revenues: subscriptions single-copy sales advertising ancillary services

FEEDBACK Audit Bureau of Circulation (for consumer press) reports average paid circulation rate base (minimum guaranteed circulation) circulation in last six months number of visits, or “hits,” on magazine’s web site Business Publication Audit (for business press)

Magazine Audiences Two categories which concern advertisers: primary (total circulation figure) pass-along (primary + secondary readers) Magazine Reader Profile: Readers tend to be more affluent, educated, and “joiners” 94% of us read at least one magazine a month Adults browse though about ten magazines a month 28% of adults spend < 25 minutes with magazines daily

Magazines End of Chapter 5 Magazines