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Chapter 9:
Magazines in the Age
of Specialization
Some guiding questions
What are the historical origins of the magazine?
What was the role of magazines in the early 20th century?
How have magazines changed in the Age of Specialization?
How is the magazine industry organized and structured today?
EARLY HISTORY OF MAGAZINES
The word “magazine” derives from French magasin, meaning storehouse or collection.
What is collected in today’s magazine? Articles, stories, images,
advertisements
17th-18th century magazines
In Europe, magazines served as channels for political commentary and persuasion. Defoe’s Review (1704-1713, London) Tatler, Spectator, Gentleman’s
MagazineHow did they differ from
newspapers?
MAGAZINES IN COLONIAL AMERICA
Primarily served politicians, the educated, and the merchant class
Most adults were illiterate at this time; thus, small circulation
Covered issues of taxation, federal power, Indian treaties, public education, colonialism
Some issues with early magazines
Most republished articles from other sources.
Often included poetry, political essays
Less timely than newspapers; often published on irregular schedule
Mailing expenses were formidableHigh publishing costs and small
circulations
19th century: beginnings of specialized magazines
Religious periodicals boasted large readerships.
Literary magazines Magazines targeting occupational
markets (farmers, teachers, lawyers, doctors).
Saturday Evening Post
Founded 1821, PhiladelphiaLongest-running magazine in U.S.
historyOriginal and republished articlesNews, poetry, essays, reviewsFirst magazine to appeal
directly to women.
Boom in magazine readership
Increases in literacyImprovements in rail
service enabled shipping600 magazines by 18505,000 magazines
launched, though most failed
Women’s magazines
Ladies’ Magazine (1828, Sarah Josepha Hale) merged with Godey’s Lady’s Book (1830-1898)
Played central role in educating working- and middle-class women
Other important periodicals
Graham’s Magazine (1840-1858)Knickerbocker (1833-1864)Nation (1865-present)Harper’s (1850-present)Youth’s Companion (1826-1929)
The Development of
Modern American Magazines
Large-circulation magazines
Postal Act of 1879: lowered shipping rates
Improved rail transportation for shipping
Improved printing presses and mass-production facilities
Resulted in lowered prices, making magazines more accessible to working classes
Magazine AdvertisingCompanies bought ad pages to
reach expanding market.Attracted consumer attention;
appeal to women consumersDevelopment of a national
marketplaceNew venues for selling consumer
goods department stores, supermarkets,
dimestores
Popular Magazines and Social Reform
Yellow Journalism: crusading for social reform on behalf of public good
emphasized sensational stories and included reports that exposed corruption (also dubbed muckraking)
E.g., against poor living and working conditions, unregulated medicines
Magazines provided greater depth of investigative coverage
PHOTOJOURNALISM
The use of photos to document the rhythms of daily life, breaking events
Photos as important as text
Gave magazines advantage over radio
Changed the way people view the world
BOOM IN GENERAL INTEREST MAGAZINES IN 1920S AND 1930S
Saturday Evening PostReaders DigestTimeLifeLook
Rise of TV GUIDE
Established 1953 by Walter Annenberg’s Triangle Publications.
Small format, supermarket sales strategyTapped into rise of TV in American cultureRegional editions tailored to local channelsBought out by Rupert Murdoch’s News
Corp, LTD in 1988; used to promote Fox TV
FALL OF WEEKLY, GENERAL- INTEREST PERIODICALS
Collier’s (1956)Woman’s Home
Companion (1956)Saturday Evening Post
(1969)Look (1971) Life (1972)
WHY?Expensive production costsChanging consumer tastesRising postal and
distribution costsFalling ad revenues Competition with TV for
advertiser dollars
Who survived?
Smaller formatsLower quality photosThose that relied on supermarket
sales rather than subscriptionsWomen’s magazines
THE AGE OF SPECIALIZATION
:From mass marketing
to niche marketing
Trend to specialized marketing
Need for small, discrete audiences that could be guaranteed to advertisers
Development of regional and demographic editions
Tailoring both content and ads to different demographic groups
DEMOGRAPHICS
Dividing consumers into categories based upon age, sex, socioeconomic class, occupation, geographic location, lifestyle interests, hobbies, religion, politics, etc.
What magazines do you read?
What is your demographic
profile?
FRAGMENTED MAGAZINE MARKET
Aimed at communities of readers who share values, interests, and social identity
Magazines organized around sports and leisure activities, travel and geography, lifestyle, age, race, ethnicity
Can you think of some examples?
Alternative forms of magazines
Supermarket tabloidsWebzinesGrassroots-published personal “zines”
Newsletters
THE MAGAZINE INDUSTRY:
ORGANIZATION AND ECONOMICS
Issues in magazine publishing
Production and technology
Editorial contentAdvertising and salesCirculation and
distribution
How do magazines serve a democratic
society?