1. Media Now: Magazines (Straubhaar & LaRose) Notes & Terms

2. Magazines as a Medium Magazines tend to occupy a middle ground between newspapers and books. –They generally provide more synthesis and analysis than newspapers, focusing on broader trends as opposed to the “news of the day.” –They generally present a more current and less thorough synthesis than books, which explore topics in greater detail.

3. Early Magazines Magazines were developed in England during the 1700s. The Saturday Evening Post (1821-1969) was among the earliest and longest standing magazines in the United States. It was famous, in part, for the covers painted by Norman Rockwell.

4. Muckraking Magazines were an important forum for “muckraking” journalists who sought to expose the corruption and abuse of industry during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Several articles are directly responsible for passing legislation to regulate industry. –e.g. The Great American Fraud by Samuel Hopkins Adams resulted in the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1907.

5. Modern Magazines After the 1920s, magazine publishers encountered competition from the new media of radio and film. Time magazine started publication in 1923 with the intent of summarizing the news of the week for the busy reader. Life magazine (1936-1972) stopped publication because its emphasis on imagery was outdone by the rise of TV.

6. Magazine Economics Magazines have three sources of revenue: –Single-copy sales (appox. 20%) –Subscriptions (appox. 30%) –Advertising (appox 50%) Magazines cater to niche markets which creates intense competition for advertising revenue.

7. Magazine Ownership Large magazines often started out as small publications that gained a loyal base of subscribers (e.g. Rolling Stone, Playboy). Major media companies may own a vast array of magazine titles and book imprints. Time Warner publishes over 100 titles in various countries throughout the world.

8. Circulation & Advertising The most widely circulated magazines tend to be newspaper supplements (e.g. Parade, USA Weekend, and The New York Times Magazine). Many magazines are targeted toward a gender- specific audience (e.g. Playboy, FHM, Maxim, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen). The retail mega-store Wal-Mart has threatened the existence of some magazines because it bypasses distributors and purchases only those publications consistent with its interpretation of morality and “family values.”

9. Niche Markets Unlike many forms of Mass Media, magazines can stay afloat with a small, but loyal group of readers. As a result, many magazines cater to a very specific readership. This is especially good for advertisers seeking to target a specific audience.

10. Political Bias Newsmagazines can be divided into three basic categories: –Mainstream publications that attempt objectivity (e.g. Newsweek, Time). –Right-wing publications that are in-line with conservative values (e.g. The Weekly Standard, The National Review). –Left-wing publications that are in-line with liberal values (e.g. Mother Jones, The Nation).

11. Terms Miscellanies: Early magazines with a wide variety of content. Newsmagazine: A weekly magazine publication focusing on news and analysis. Conglomerates: Large media companies composed of divisions from different formats of mass media.