Will Magazines Survive?
Print media's attempt at a comeback consists of many hail mary throws. Most land far out bounds but can the ones that are home runs move the needle enough to bring the legacy brands back?
(Photo: Krista Schlueter for Vogue)
Every month, I look forward to going to the nearest Barnes & Nobles and looking through their magazine section. I like to collect the magazines that catch my eye most for my (eventual) pop culture museum when I am 80 years old. I sometimes try to buy old Seventeen magazines off eBay but it is a gamble. Some come in pristine condition and others come with half the pages ripped out.
The Decline:
Did you know that estimated revenue for “periodical publishing”, which includes magazines, has decreased by 40.5% between 2002 and 2022 (according to census.gov).
Some publications are still hanging on via formats on digital. In fact, they are often the ones moving the needle of culture on platforms like YouTube and inspire creators like myself. But is that enough to sustain them financially?
One of my favorite magazine formats online include Architectural Digest’s “Open Door”. But even this can be somewhat replicated by a one-man show creator with much lower costs. One example would be Caleb Simpson, who I wrote about in a recent article on Substack. His TikTok format consists of walking through homes of New Yorkers (and now beyond) who have a unique place to stay or celebrity status.
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Despite print media not being the top dog anymore, I still think they are important. If not in print, at least in digital. And I hope they stay. They are often held to a higher standard and have access and resources some creators might not to bring bigger ideas to life which always helps breed creativity and larger than life ideas that one solo creator might not be able to create by themselves. With that being said…
If print media had a Facebook relationship status (throwback), it would be set to: It’s complicated.
In today’s trend report, I will be talking about:
The potential profits of Vogue’s YouTube channel based off an accidentally leaked excel sheet and what it means about digital media. Is it enough to keep paying all their employees and spin a profit?
Ways in which print media is thriving
Ways in which print media is struggling. They are evolving but unfortunately missing the mark of the original point of the content in the pursuit of evolution
Final thoughts: “Will Magazines Survive?”
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