Hynds - Newspapers' Magazines -
Newspapers' Locally Edited Magazines
Seek Ways To Maintain Place in Market
Locally edited magazines once held a prominent place in the nation's daily
newspapers and in the minds and hearts of Sunday newspaper readers. They
were well-written and well-read. They introduced their readers to
interesting people, places, and things. They described and discussed the
community's history, its achievements, and its needs. They were
colorful,
much more colorful than the rest of the Sunday newspaper. They
offered
advertisers an appealing place to display their goods and services.
They
added much prestige to the parent product, and there were a lot of
them.
As recently as the late 1970s there were 187 of these magazines, or
supplements as they are sometimes called to the dismay of their editors,
listed in the source books. Most of the nation's large dailies and
many of
its smaller ones had a locally produced magazine to distribute along with,
or in place of, Parade and Family Weekly, the principal survivors of the
once crowded syndicated magazine field. But their situation changed
dramatically for the worse in the 1980s. Parade and Family Weekly, and
its
successor USA Weekend, continued to do reasonably well economically. But
many locally edited magazines were eliminated as newspapers searched
for
places to cut costs and streamline their operations. By the end of
1993
there were only 53 locally edited magazines left and a few of them
were
said to be in financial trouble. Highly regarded magazines at the
Portland
Oregonian, Denver Post, Des Moines Register, St. Petersburg Times,
Louisville Courier-Journal, New Orleans Times-Picayune, and Atlanta
Journal-Constitution were among the casualties. At the time of their
elimination, many of the magazines still had strong editorial content and
many still ranked high in readership studies at their newspapers.
Others
had lost their editorial excellence as their funding declined.
Many possible reasons have been suggested for the demise of these
once-influential publications within a publication. Some suggest that they
lost their edge when color became common throughout the newspaper and in
inserts and mailers. Tom Shroder, executive editor of the Miami
Herald's
Tropic Magazine, noted in late 1991 that when Sunday magazines were
originally conceived, there was no color available in the ROP newspaper,
but now the local advertiser who needs color can go just about
anywhere in
the newspaper. Shroder noted also that the magazines and their parent
newspapers face a host of other color competitors such as preprints and
direct mail. [1] Lee Walburn, former editor of the
Journal-Constitution's
Atlanta Weekly who now edits Atlanta magazine, said the newspapers
cannibalized their magazines when they allowed the distribution of
preprints for retailers. He said as a result the department stores no
longer depended on the Sunday magazine for exposure. [2] Jim Davy,
president of Metropolitan Sunday Newspapers, a cooperative advertising
sales association serving Sunday magazines, expressed concern in the
early
1980s that newspapers were hurting themselves by running preprint
advertising inserts instead of selling advertisements in the magazines. [3]
Some editors also attribute the decline to the fact that the magazines are
often costly to produce and that as a separate entity may be more
vulnerable and ultimately expendable. Fred Mann, editor of Inquirer
Magazine in the Philadelphia Inquirer, said Sunday magazines are in many
ways an easy target for executives who are looking at hard times in
the
market and suddenly see a part of their paper that is most costly to
produce. [4] Many of these magazines are vulnerable because they have
lost
advertising, but many of their editors do not think such losses by
themselves should be a sufficient cause for elimination. They point out
that the magazines almost invariably are among the most popular parts
of
the newspaper and that other sections with limited advertising are
retained. Mann said he wonders how many publishers look at their paper and
say, "Gee, I wonder if the sports section is making money?" [5] Walburn
pointed out that newspapers retain editorial pages, which seldom have
advertising, and sports pages, which have a relatively small amount
considering the high costs involved. [6]
Others attribute the magazines' difficulties to other things, including
the loss of national advertising to national magazines such as Parade
and
USA Weekend and the increased use of the flexible writing style they
helped
develop by other sections of the newspaper. "Even in the big cities, the
national advertising becomes much harder to get, and in some cases
impossible, because of the arrangements that USA Weekend and Parade make
with national advertisers," said Lary Bloom, editor of Northeast, the
award-winning magazine of the Hartford Courant. "That's a given. That's
not
open to dispute."[7] It is good writing that Sunday magazine editors
generally cite as their product's most important contribution to the
newspaper, and like the use of color, that contribution is no longer
confined to the magazine. "We've lost our uniqueness," said Denis
Gosselin, editor of the Chicago Tribune Magazine. "There is magazine
writing throughout all of the newspaper now." [8]
Some suggest that the decline in numbers has resulted from the fact that
advertising directors and publishers just don't understand Sunday
magazines
and their potential. Lary Bloom of Northeast said judging a magazine by
its bottom line is only one criterion and a standard other newspaper
sections aren't held to. "You can't single out the prestige a magazine
brings to a newspaper," he said. "When you think of Northeast, you
think of
a polished product that stands for the commitment the Hartford Courant has
made in the community, and that the Hartford Courant stands for quality."
[9] Others assert that some Sunday magazines lack a clear focus or
direction when compared to city magazines and other publications. Tony
Silber said in a July 1991 Folio article that while city magazines have
a
singular focus, the purpose and direction of a Sunday newspaper
magazine is
much more nebulous. "Depending on which department you ask," he said,"
they may be characterized as a profit center, a reader bonus or a
showcase
for editorial." [10] Others give other reasons for the decline in
numbers. [11]
Some answers as to why more than 130 magazines have been closed in the
past 14 years may be found in what the 53 survivors are doing right.
Magazines at the Hartford Courant, the Chicago Tribune, The New York
Times,
and a number of other newspapers have continued to serve effectively.
Their approaches may provide some guidance for magazines that are
struggling or for newspapers that might consider reopening magazines now
shut down.
Improved graphics, the use of theme issues, cooperative ventures in
advertising, changes in production methods and paper, changes in physical
size, more interpretive reporting, increased use of commentary, and
various
other approaches all have been tried or proposed to help keep or make
Sunday magazines viable. [12] Many agree with Linda Mathews, editor of
the
Los Angeles Times Magazine, that the editorial environment, not the
format, will determine the success of Sunday magazines in the 1990s.
"We're competing for the reader's attention not only with the rest of the
newspaper but with the whole rest of the world of magazines," she
said.
"The struggle is to give our magazines an identity." [13] Different
magazines likely will take different routes toward that identify.
Mathews
said her magazine plans to do this by focusing its articles closer to the
news, by hitting issues that matter to people. "Sunday magazines can
be
distinctive by taking a stand, by being more opinionated and sassier
than
the rest of the newspaper," she said. [14] As the 1990s began, many
editors also agreed with Ande Zellman, editor of the Boston Globe
Magazine,
that it's premature to sound the death knell for the category. "These
magazines reach millions of readers every Sunday," she said. "The
demographics are excellent; the editorial environment is very good. Isn't
that an advertiser's dream? Sunday magazines represent a great
untapped
potential." [15]
In a fairly recent development, The New York Times announced a complete
redesign of its magazine in the fall of 1993. Plans called for the
magazine to have a major centerpiece article; other articles usually
confined to one page; a variety of features, including a personality
profile, narrative photo stories, commentary, and new rotating columns by
Times writers. Travel, fashion, food and recipes, design, and beauty
were
included in the plan. [16]
The current study, which is a partial replication of one done in 1979 for
presentation to the 30th Annual Editorial Conference of Locally Edited
Gravure Magazines in Louisville, Ky., seeks to 1) affirm or reject the
explanations suggested by some leading editors for the demise of many
newspapers' magazines and the continued success of others, 2) discover
and
explore other possible explanations suggested by additional editors, and
3) determine, if possible, what the magazines can do to remain or
become ec
onomically viable as well as popular sections of their newspapers.
[16]
This paper will report the results of the current study, compare them
with
the results of the 1979 study, and discuss what the editors think can
be
done to keep or make the magazines viable. Magazine editors at
newspapers
in New York, Boston, Providence, Chicago, Los Angeles, and most other
cities where newspapers' magazines are being published provided
information
for the study.
Methodology
A current list of newspapers' magazines was compiled by exploring all
possible listings in the 1993 Editor & Publisher Yearbook. It was
determined that some magazines listed in the yearbook were no longer being
published and that others which appeared to be magazines were
entertainment
guides or other special sections. Ultimately, a total of 53 newspapers'
magazines were identified and sent a cover letter and four-page
questionnaire requesting information. Several open-ended questions were
included, but most were either short-answer or multiple-choice. Those
magazines that had not responded after three weeks were sent a
follow-up
letter and questionnaire, and those that still had not responded after
six
weeks were called by telephone. Usable answers were received from 46
magazines or 87% of the total.
Results
Information received was grouped into six areas for discussion and for
comparison with the results of the similar study conducted in 1979.
They
are 1) overview, including roles and functions, primary areas of
coverage,
the magazine's relationship to its parent newspaper, possible reasons
for
the closing of many newspapers' magazines in the past decade, and
potential magazine competition; 2) content, including types of articles,
features and other editorial materials used and advertising; 3) issues
covered and perceived influence; 4) staff, including the use of
free-lance
writers as well as full-time and part-time staff members; 5)
publication
data, including information about printing methodology, grade of
paper
used, magazine size, and the average number of pages in each issue; and
6)
changes and trends at the individual magazines and in the field
generally.
1. Overview. Several changes were noted between 1979 and 1994 in how
editors define their roles or functions. Almost all (89%), as compared
with 90% in 1979, regard providing profiles of interesting people as an
important role or function. But the percentages that identified
providing
information about living in the city and lifestyles and providing
information about food, travel and entertainment as important rose from
59% to 76% and 55% to 76%, respectively. The number that identified
pointing out community problems and needs as important rose from 29% to
54%
while the percentage that identified offering a change of pace from the
heavy materials elsewhere in the newspaper dropped from 68% to 52%.
(See
Table 2).
Respondents were divided as to which role or function is most important;
providing information about living in the city and lifestyles and
providing
information about food, travel, and entertainment each drew 15% of the
votes as most important. Eighteen other roles were mentioned as most
important by at least one editor. Several of these referred to good
writing and reporting: "in-depth, enterprise reporting," a "vehicle for
excellent writing," "providing a 'good read' in a hard news-oriented
newspaper," and providing a "showcase for good writing and graphics."
Almost half of the magazines, 46% in each study, identified the "city and
surrounding counties" as their primary area of coverage. The
percentage
emphasizing "city and state" as primary dropped from 23% to 17%, and
the
percentage emphasizing "regional coverage" dropped slightly from 16%
to
15%. The percentage emphasizing the "city of publication" as primary
rose
from 2% to 15%, and the percentage emphasizing "national coverage"
remained at 3%. (See Table 1.)
It's difficult to generalize about which readers are targeted by
newspapers' magazines. Individual magazines may have specific groups in
mind for their publications, such as "adults, 25 to 45";
"well-educated
adults, 21 and older"; or "women, 18-49." But the common links in
these
divergent target lists are pretty much limited to adults who enjoy
reading.
A similar open-ended question in 1979 drew a somewhat similar response,
but 35% at that time did say they were trying to reach all their
newspaper's readers.
The percentage of magazines that said they "make money on their own"
dropped from 41% in 1979 to 30%, but the percentage that said they "break
even and help draw readers" rose from 20% to 26%. The percentage that
require a "small subsidy but help draw readers" remained at 17%, and the
percentage that "require a subsidy but help draw readers" rose only
from 20
to 22%. It must be remembered, of course, that many not so fortunate as
these were closed during the period between studies. (See Table 4).
Almost three-fourths (74%) of the editors cited the fact that their
magazines are "seen as a separate, expendable part of the newspaper" as
being in part responsible for the reduction in the number of
newspapers'
magazines in recent years. Almost three-fifths (59%) cited "the loss
of
national advertising to Parade and USA Weekend" and expensive methods
of
printing, expensive paper stock, or both, as reasons, and 57% cited
the
"expanded use of color elsewhere in the newspaper." Exactly half
cited
"increased use of inserts and direct mailers," and a "lack of a clear
editorial purpose or direction." (See Table 11.)
Approximately three-fourths of the newspapers carry at least one other
magazine as a supplement. More than half (52%) carry Parade; 15% carry
USA
Weekend, and 11% carry other supplements such as Vista.
2. Content. Personality sketches, used by 87% of the magazines in 1979
and 85% in 1994, were the most popular type of articles used. The
percentage using narrative articles jumped from 54% to 87%, and the
percentage using essays jumped from 27% to 70%. while the percentage using
utility or how-to articles dropped from 48% to 24%. (See Table 7.)
Several major changes were noted in the percentages using special
features, and lesser changes were noted in the percentage using other
materials such as columns and reviews. The percentage using a crossword
puzzle doubled from 30% to 61%, and the percentage using home-design
features doubled from 23% to 48% while the percentage using
arts-entertainment fell from 62% to 50%, and the percentage using
features
for teens dropped from 32% to 7%. (See Table 8.) The percentage using
columns increased from 63% to 85%; the percentage using cartoons
increased
from 38% to 46%, and the percentage using letters increased from 28%
to 39%
while the percentage using reviews dropped from 53% to 46%. (See Table
6.)
More than two-thirds (70%) of the magazines, up slightly from 65% in 1979,
said they use theme issues at times. Twenty-eight different themes were
mentioned, including fashion, noted by 25%; homes, noted by 20%; and
health, noted by 15%. Some themes are repeated each year. Some such as
one which examined multiculturalism in the community during the
previous 10
years and another looking at early movie theaters in the community are
likely to run less frequently. Recreational activities, travel,
fashion,
home furnishings and decorating were the most often used themes in
1979.
Several magazines such as The New York Times Magazine use theme
sections as
a Part 2 of the magazine. Questions concerning how many articles
the magazines use in each issue and the approximate length in words of
typical articles drew widely varied responses. Almost 30% said they use
between six and eight articles an issue, but many gave answers such as
"three articles plus standing features," "two features and six to eight
columns," "two features and four columns," or "two major articles and
many
short pieces." Lengths cited also varied greatly. More than half
indicated their articles usually run fewer than 3,000 words, but again many
run different lengths for different emphases such as "cover, 2,000 words,
second article, 1,000 to 1,500 words, and third article, 800 words."
Advertisements for home furnishings, used by 72% in 1979 and 74% in 1994,
head the list of products and services advertised. The percentage
using
clothing increased from 55% to 70%, and the percentage using foods
rose
from 51% to 59%. Several categories not mentioned widely in 1979 were
popular in 1994. These include entertainment, mentioned by 72%;
travel-tourism and jewelry, each 65%, personal care and audio-video, each
57%, coupons, 48%, and others. (See Table 5.)
Most of the magazines rely on local advertising. Almost a third (30%)
said all of their advertising is local; more than half (54%) said more
than
90% of it is local; and almost three-fourths (74%) said three-fourths of
it is local.
3. Issues and Influence. More than half of the magazines said they
provide information on local issues in areas such as government,
education,
and crime; 41% said they do so "often" and 22% said they do
"occasionally." Only 13% said they "never" do; 24% said they "seldom"
do.
Almost two-thirds (65%) said they had provided information on education
and on social programs during the previous year; 63% said they had
provided
information on the environment, 61% said they had provided information on
health, and 50% said they had provided information on business and on
crime. (See Table 9.)
More than two-thirds of the magazines said they believe their coverage of
local issues has had an influence on their readers. While only 9%
said
they thought it had "much" influence, 33% said it had "considerable"
influence, and 26% said it had "limited" influence. Only 2% said they did
not believe it had any influence. The others said they "don't know"
or
skipped the question.
4. Staff. Questions regarding the number of full-time and part-time staff
members and the percentage of editorial material provided by free-lance
writers drew varied answers. About a third of the magazines indicated
that
they employ four or more full-time staff members; 48% said they have three
or fewer full-time staff members; the others indicated a variety of
combinations of full-time and part-time employees.
While many of the magazines use articles from free-lance writers, only 35%
said they get 50% or more of their editorial material from them. Slightly
more than half (52%) said they get 30% or less of their material from
free-lance writers.
5. Publication Data. More than half of the magazines (54%), as compared
with 39% in 1979, are printed by offset lithography; 24%, down from
30%,
are printed by gravure; and 15%, down from 29%, are printed by
letterpress.
(See Table 3.)
Exactly half indicated that their magazines are printed on a higher grade
of paper than the newsprint of the regular newspaper. Almost that
many
(48%) indicated they are not; one did not answer the question. One
using a
better grade of paper mentioned plans to adopt newsprint in the near
future as a cost-saving measure.
Nineteen different dimensions were listed in response to an open-ended
question asking about the physical size of the magazine. The largest
number, 22%, said their magazines are 10 by 11 l/2 inches; 17% simply
said
they are tabloids without specifying an exact size in inches. Most of
the
others fall in this general area.
Many different figures also were given in response to a question seeking
the average number of pages in each issue. More than half (59%) of
the
averages given by the magazines fell between 16 and 28 pages.
6. Changes and Trends. More than three-fourths (76%) of the respondents
cited the use of more attractive design and art work as a trend in
newspapers' magazines today. Slightly more than three-fifths (61%) cited
offering a change of pace from heavy material elsewhere in the
newspaper,
and 57% cited providing in-depth coverage of local issues. (See Table
10.)
As expected, an open-ended question asking editors to suggest
changes magazines are making, or could make, to compete successfully in
the
1990s drew varied responses, but there were some clusters and there were
several individual comments that seem noteworthy. More than
two-fifths
(43%) of the editors -- 67% of those who answered the open-ended
question
-- commented on the need to clarify the magazine's mission, and
almost a
fourth (24%) of the editors -- 37% of those who answered the question
--
cited a need to work more closely with advertising departments in
explaining the magazine's roles and selling its potential for helping
advertisers reach readers.
Comments regarding mission included admonitions such as "develop a clearer
mission," "choose a focus and stick with it," "reflect the people and
places of this area," "be more relevant to readers," "provide narrative
stories with emotional impact that explain the life of a time and
place,"
"have a strong personality and develop a relationship with newspaper
readers," focus -- and deliver," "develop a strong, unique, independent,
courageous literary voice," "be more in tune with people's lives," be
sensitive to readers' interests, concerns," "maintain high standards of
quality while trying new things," stay LOCAL," "be more
issue-oriented,"
and "hang on until the public rediscovers the joys of reading."
To hang on, the magazines must find support from advertisers, convince
publishers that their service is vital to the newspaper even without a
lot
of advertising, or both. Comments from several editors indicated that
to
get increases in advertising they must first convince their
newspaper's
advertising department of their value. Several said that advertising
departments did not know what their magazines are doing and didn't appear
sufficiently interested in finding out. One editor noted, for
example, tha
t a focus group study two years earlier had found that the magazine
was
the third best-read section of the paper, yet no attempt had been made
to
capitalize on this or to sell the magazine on the basis of its strong
demographics. Another editor suggested that magazines should go after
more
specific markets that could be targeted by advertisers. A third said
advertising rates should be reduced to reach smaller advertisers, and a
fourth said reducing the lead time for publication could draw more
advertisers. Still another suggested offering to place advertisements next
to standing columns could help. Several cited the importance of
emphasizing local events and issues, and several said a stronger commitment
from advertising departments is essential to success. Theme
issues may be one way to attract advertising, and 70% of the respondents
indicated that they have used them at times. The themes mentioned
most
often are fashion, used by 25%; homes, used by 20%; and health, used by
15%. Some run theme sections as a
second part of the magazine. Almost two-thirds (65%) of the respondents in
1979 said they used theme issues at times.
Editors who see their magazines as vehicles for informing and influencing
their communities may reject an approach to getting advertisers that
one
editor said had worked there. The editor said that the magazine had
replaced in-depth articles with a lifestyle/entertainment format and
become
profitable again.
More pessimism than optimism was noted in responses to an open-ended
question about changes or trends the editors expect in the field in the
next five to 10 years. About half the editors declined to comment,
which
in itself may be a negative. Of those that did comment, the negative
or
pessimistic statements outnumbered the positive by more than two to
one.
Typical of negative comments were the following: "There may not be a
newspaper magazine field in five years"; "Failure of more newspapers'
magazines"; "See them dwindling due to economy and the fact that they're
the first to go in hard economic times"; "More magazines will fold";
"They
have to improve, faster than their mother ships, or they'll be swamped
by
the competition from inside as well as out"; "I think magazines will
continue to disappear, not because they serve no purpose, but because
publishers see them as expendable."
Some editors were positive, or at least hopeful: "I think magazines will
make a comeback as newspapers realize that people want their news
placed in
a wider context"; "Will stabilize, I think"; "We hope to get a better
grade of stock, use more color, get national advertisers, expand the
page
count, and continue to upgrade our contributors' list to get more and
better writers." Some comments were both positive and negative: "I
hope
the decline in the number of magazines will slow as the remaining ones d
emonstrate some hardiness in an inhospitable climate. But I suspect
the
trend to cost cutting (cheaper paper and printing) will accelerate";
"We've
formed an editorial-advertising hit squad to solve the magazine's
problems"; and "More will die. Eventually the form will be
rediscovered/reinvented."
Observations and Conclusions
Many locally edited newspapers' magazines, including some that have been
praised for their editorial quality, were closed down in the 1980s and
early 1990s for economic reasons. As a result, only about 50 remain,
and
some of them could be eliminated unless steps are taken to overcome
the
continuing challenges that these magazines face.
Magazine editors have identified at least a half dozen contributing
factors to their economic problems and the subsequent decline in numbers
of
magazines. At times, they are seen as a separate, expendable part of the
newspaper; they have lost national advertising to Parade and USA
Weekend,
the major national newspaper magazines; they have lost local
advertising to
inserts and direct mailers; they have been hurt by the expanded use of
color and the more flexible writing styles now used elsewhere in their
newspapers; their methods of printing and paper stock are expensive; and
they sometimes lack a clear editorial purpose or direction.
The decline in the number of locally edited newspapers' magazines can be
reversed if staff members produce quality products that readers want
to
read and if publishers and advertising directors will open their minds
to
the magazines' achievements and potential. The challenge will be
especially great for magazines facing strong local competition, but they
can take a number of steps to be competitive and remain viable.
Editors must define their missions clearly and produce attractive,
readable products that will entice and satisfy the newspapers' readers.
They must tailor their approach to their readers. Some may want to
provide
a literary emphasis, perhaps including fiction, not found elsewhere in the
newspaper. Good story-telling has been a strength of many good magazines
in the past. Some may want to complement the editorial pages by
offering
information and opinion in a different format. Almost two-thirds of
the
editors said they provide information on local issues often (41%) or
occasionally (22%), and more than two thirds said they believe their
coverage of local issues has had some influence on readers. Some may want
to emphasize providing information on living in the city, lifestyles,
food,
travel, and entertainment. This coverage has become more prevalent in
recent years. Roles are likely to vary from community to community,
and
more than one may be appropriate.
Publishers must accept the idea that newspapers' magazines contribute
significantly to the overall success of the newspaper, including its
economic viability, even if they do not attract enough advertising to pay
for themselves. Publishers must see the magazines as most of them see
editorial pages, sports pages, and other sections that are vital to the
success of the whole even if they cost more to produce than is derived
from
the advertising carried in their pages.
Advertising directors must understand how the magazines can be attractive
to some of their clients and make a greater effort to sell advertising
in
them. They must present the magazines' potential to local
advertisers and
explore cooperative ventures to attract more national and regional
advertising.
Editors and publishers should explore with their counterparts at
successful magazines what works for them and why. Almost a third of the
magazines are making money on their own, and more than half at least
break
even.
The pessimism reflected in answers to survey questions, especially the
open-ended questions about changes and trends, is understandable in
light
of the number of editorially impressive magazines that have been
closed in
the past decade or so. The total has fallen from 187 to 53 in 14
years.
The pessimistic responses outnumbered optimistic ones by about two to
one.
But the optimistic view can still prevail if the newspaper's top
executives will give the magazines a chance and the magazines
will clearly define and successfully pursue useful roles that other
sections of the newspaper cannot perform, or perform as well.
Notes
1. Mark Fitzgerald, "Ironic victims of newspaper color," Editor &
Publisher, September 28, 1991, pp. 8C-9C, 34C.
2. Interview with Lee Walburn, editor of Atlanta magazine, and former
editor of Atlanta Weekly, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution magazine,
March
23, 1994.
3. Charles Buffum, "Sunday Best: Newspaper Magazines and a Parade of
Weekend Reading," Washington Journalism Review, October, 1983, p. 33.
4. Fitzgerald, "Ironic victims...," p. 8C.
5. Ibid.
6. Walburn Interview, March 23, 1994.
7. Tony Silber, "Are Sunday Supplements bad news for Regionals?" Folio,
July, 1991, p. 54.
8. Fitzgerald, "Ironic victims," 34C.
9. Chris Woodword, "Northeast gives Courant new direction," Advertising
Age, January 24, 1985, p. 38.
10. Silber, "Are Sunday Supplements..., p. 54.
11. Mitchell J. Shields, "Sunday magazines: Do they deserve to survive?"
Columbia Journalism Review, July/August, 1986, pp. 35-40.
12. Alan Rosenthal, "Fighting to Keep Their Niche," Advertising Age, May
24, 1989, p. 20.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. "The Times Magazine Getting New Look," The New York Times, September
20, 1993, p. C-7.
17. Ernest C. Hynds, "A Look at Newspapers' Magazines," a paper prepared
for presentation to the 30th Annual Editorial Conference of Locally
Edited
Gravure Magazines at Louisville, Ky., April, 1979; Hynds,"Survey
examines
status of newspapers' magazines, Editor & Publisher, July 7, 1979, pp.
32-33.
Table 1
Percentage of Magazines That Emphasize
Coverage of the Area Listed
1979 1994
City and Area Counties 46% 46%
City and State 23% 17%
Regional Emphasis 16% 15%
National Emphasis 3% 3%
City of Publication 2% 15%
Other 10% 4%
N=92 N=46
--------------------------------------------------------
Table 2
Percentage of Magazines That Regard
Roles, Functions Listed as Important
1979 1994
Provide Change of Pace from Heavy 68% 52%
Materials Elsewhere in Paper
Provide Information on Living 59% 76%
In City, Lifestyles
Provide Information on Food, 55% 76%
Travel Entertainment
Point Out Community Problems, 29% 54%
Needs
Promote Local Business, 14% 15%
Including Tourism
Other 28% 72%
N=92 N=46
--------------------------------------------------------
Table 3
Percentage of Magazines That Use
Method of Printing Listed
1979 1994
Offset 39% 54%
Gravure 30% 24%
Letterpress 29% 15%
Dilitho 2% 2%
No Answer 0% 5%
N=84* N=46
* Eight of the 92 respondents did not answer the question.
Table 4
Percentage of Editors Who Describe Their Economic
Relationship To Their Newspaper in Terms Listed
1979 1994
Makes Money on Its Own 41% 30%
Breaks Even, Helps Draw 20% 26%
Readers to Newspaper
Requires Small Subsidy 17% 17%
But Helps Draw Readers
Requires Subsidy 20% 22%
But Helps Draw Readers
Other 2% 5%
N=82* N=46
* Ten of the 92 respondents did not answer this question.
--------------------------------------------------------
Table 5
Percentage of Magazines That Use
Types of Advertising Listed
1979 1994
Home Furnishings 72% 74%
Clothing 55% 70%
Foods 51% 59%
Tobacco-Cigarettes 28% 33%
Alcoholic Beverages 23% 37%
Automobiles 23% 43%
Classified 7% 39%
Other 38% 35%*
N=92 N=46
* Several types of advertising that were not frequently mentioned in 1979
were listed by substational numbers of magazines in 1994. These
included
entertainment, mentioned by 72%; travel-tourism and jewelry, each 65%;
personal care and audio-video, each 57%; coupons, 48%; schools and
colleges, 43%; real estate, 35%; and insurance, 33%.
Table 6
Percentage of Magazines That Use With Some
Regularity Types of Materials Listed
1979 1994
Columns 63% 85%
Reviews 53% 46%
Cartoons 38% 46%
Letters 28% 39%
Condensed Books 15% 15%
Poetry 11% 17%
Jokes 7% 11%
Fiction 4% 9%
Other 49% 61%
--------------------------------------------------------
Table 7
Percentage of Magazines That Use
Types of Articles Listed
1979 1994
Personality Sketch 87% 85%
Interview Article 68% 63%
General Narrative 54% 87%
Utility (How-to) 48% 24%
Essay 27% 70%
Other 64% 61%
N=92 N=46
--------------------------------------------------------
Table 8
Percentage of Magazines That Use
Types of Special Features Listed
1979 1994
Arts-Entertainment 62% 50%
Features for Teens 32% 7%
Crossword 30% 61%
Yards-Gardening 29% 33%
Dining-Restaurants 28% 35%
Questions/Answers 23% 35%
Home-Design 23% 48%
Sports 22% 22%
Features for Children 20% 17%
Health-Beauty 14% 17%
Quotation as Feature 3% 9%
Other 15% 57%
N=92 N=46
Table 9
Percentage of Magazines That Provided Information
on Local Issues Listed in the Past Year*
Education 65% Business 50% Transportation 15% Social
Programs 65% Crime 50% Planning/Zoning 13%
Environment 63% Government
Reform 26% Traffic 9% Health
61% Human Rights 26%
--------------------------------------------------------
Table 10
Percentage of Magazines That Identified Developments
Listed as Trends in Newspapers' Magazines Today*
Using more attractive design and art work: 76% Offering
change of pace from heavy material
elsewhere in paper: 61% Providing
in-depth coverage of local issues: 57% Providing extensive
information to help readers
help themselves: 50% Making
extensive use of free-lance articles: 48% Using an upgraded
paper stock: 30% Reduced size of magazine
(length
x width): 17% Other
11%
--------------------------------------------------------
Table 11
Percentage of Magazines That Identified Developments
Listed as Being in Part Responsible for Decline
In Numbers of Newspapers' Magazines*
Magazines seen as separate, expendable part of the
newspaper: 74% Expensive
methods of printing, expensive paper stock,
or both: 59% Loss of
national advertising to Parade, USA Weekend: 59% Expanded use
of
color elsewhere in the newspaper: 57% Lack of clear
editorial
purpose or direction: 50% Advertisers' increased use
of
inserts, direct mailers: 50% Flexible writing style no longer
confined to magazine: 43% Increased competition from city and
regional magazines: 28% Other
3%
*These questions were added in 1994.
Newspapers' Locally Edited Magazines
Seek Ways to Maintain Place in Market
by
Ernest C. Hynds, Ph.D.
Professor of Journalism
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, 30602-3018
(706) 542-5030
(A paper prepared for delivery to the Magazine Division)
(of the Association for Education in Journalism and)
(Mass Communication at the AEJMC's National Convention)
(in Atlanta, Ga., August 10-13, 1994. Partial funding)
(for the study was provided by the James M. Cox Jr. Institute)
(for Newspaper Management Studies.)
Newspapers' Locally Edited Magazines
Seek Ways to Maintain Place in Market
by
Ernest C. Hynds, Ph.D.
Professor of Journalism
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, 30602-3018
(706) 542-5030
An Abstract
Locally edited magazines once held a prominent place in the nation's daily
newspapers and in the hearts and minds of Sunday newspaper readers. Most
have continued to be editorially sound and popular with readers, but
their
numbers have been reduced from 187 to 53 during the past 14 years by
publishers looking for ways to reduce expenditures. For various reasons,
many of the magazines have lost the advertising that made them
self-supporting, and many publishers have been unwilling to treat them, as
they do editorial and sports pages, as vital to the overall success
of the
newspaper. This paper, based on an 87% response to a survey of the 53
magazine editors, examines reasons given for the decline in numbers and
generates suggestions for keeping, or making, these magazines viable.
Data
are compared with data compiled by the author in a similar study reported
in 1979 to explore changes.
Newspapers' Locally Edited Magazines
Seek Ways to Maintain Place in Market
by
Ernest C. Hynds, Ph.D.
Professor of Journalism
University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia, 30602-3018
(706) 542-5030
An Abstract
Locally edited magazines once held a prominent place in the nation's daily
newspapers. Most have continued to be editorially sound and popular with
readers, but their numbers have been reduced from 187 to 53 during the
past
14 years by publishers cutting expenses. This paper, based on an 87%
response to a survey of the 53 magazine editors, examines reasons for
the
decline in numbers and generates suggestions for keeping, or making,
these
magazines viable.
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