Tuesday, September 23, 2008

The Significant of Paper


As magazines evolve with today’s media trends, the necessity for using paper in the future tends to dwindle. When you ask someone what they think what will happen to paper in the future you frequently get the same response “paper will no longer be in existence because digital technology will overtake.” So, how significant is the paper for the publication industry? Can we live without paper if we continue to live in a digital technology world? Today you have books, magazines, and documents all available in digital media. On the other hand, you have some industries that are anti-digital and are still using paper. Clearly paper has been a significant invention and has been a great contribution for publishing industry. And moving on to digital and leaving paper behind will have a great impact on the way we advertise, how we profit and of course, our content.

When you look through the pages on a print magazine you observe many advertisements. Some you scratch and sniff, some have di-cuts as part of their advertisement, and others you lift to see underneath. These previous examples are the many wonderful flexible things how you are able to control and use paper. In comparison, you have SPIN magazine that has uploaded their magazine online, where you could link to your advertisement’s websites and start shopping. But is that a better experience than print advertisements? Of course both have their disadvantages and advantages.

Economically, digital is cheaper and more environmentally friendly. Today print production prices are increasing and not everyone uses recyclable paper. After all, the world surely cannot afford to keep loosing trees at the rate it’s going.

Reading content on paper is different from reading content on digital. One example could be the length of the content; you have more freedom to extend your content on paper than what you do on digital. Another example is the type of content; you feel more obligated to use content that is easy to the eye on screen than when you are reading on paper.

These previous examples are few of the disadvantages and advantages of how paper is significant. Whether, you would like to believe it or not paper does make a difference. So, are we ready to let paper die out?

Is There Really 101 New Tricks To A Great Sex That No ONE Knows About?

Bitch: A Success Story

It’s a tough world out there for an indie magazine. Print is dying, the economy is getting worse and worse, everything is going corporate. Things may be fine for Vogue and Newsweek, but independent magazines are dropping like flies; last year, the popular indie mag Punk Planet closed its doors. Just last week, it looked like Bitch Magazine, the smart, fun, non-profit feminist pop-culture magazine, was going to follow them. As a non-profit, Bitch depends heavily on reader donations, and they needed to raise $40,000 by October 15 in order to print their next issue- not an easy feat. But publisher Debbie Rasmussen and editorial director Andi Zeisler reached out to readers. A traditional fundraising “thermometer”, in the shape of a wiener dog (get it?), was placed at the top of the Bitch website. They shot a video asking for donations, in which they explain how serious the situation is, but also remain upbeat, making jokes about “helping our wiener grow”. “Wiener people gonna realize that independent magazines need money?” asks Zeisler in the video, causing Rasmussen to burst into laughter.

And it worked. The story quickly made the rounds on the blogosphere. The community responded, and in just three short days, Bitch’s readers had donated $40,000. At last count they’ve reached $55,000- and this during an economic recession.

The whole process has resulted in the operations of the magazine becoming much more transparent to readers. The last issue of the magazine didn’t sell as well as expected, which created the crisis. “Bitch operates without any financial cushion,” says founder Lisa Jervis in a comment on the original “Save Bitch” blog post. “We have always been a hand-to-mouth shoestring organization, making do and doing the best we can with scarce resources.” Many readers who donated expressed concern that there would have to be an emergency fundraiser before each issue to keep the magazine going; Rasmussen responded that as a non-profit, they will always rely on reader donations– “Just, ideally, in a less dramatic way.” Directors and editors have shared their ideas for a multimedia Bitch with readers, and in return readers have provided their critique, feedback, and even some ideas of their own.

Since its first issue, Bitch has been beating the odds with great journalism and a strong community. Only 10% of magazines continue to publish past their first 10 years; Bitch is currently in year 13. This recent fundraising feat just goes to show that readers still need this magazine, and are willing to donate their money to help it out. Rasmussen called the overwhelming reader response "honoring and humbling", but if anything, the fact that Bitch could raise $40,000 in three days is a testament to the quality of the magazine and its importance to readers. In such difficult times, it's inspiring to hear a story like Bitch's.

A Paper Drop in the Global Bucket


Digging into the question of sustainable magazine publishing practices, I stumbled across some very excited progress in the use of sustainable paper productions for magazines. For the past 10 years magazines have merely talked about making the change or starting to think about sustainability, but in the past year with rising pressure, there have been many new advances. One can only wonder, is it too little too late in the fight?
We have always been mildly content with the baby steps that magazines have taken in using sustainable methods in printing, but in reading some recent mission statements from high profile magazines, the heat is on. Once I loooked at Time, Inc.’s sustainability report I was excited to learn that they are taking some real efforts to change their 127 publications to a more positive image and effect. There is no doubt that the recent shift in global eco-concerns have made the magazines sweat on whether or not they can afford to sustain themselves in an eco-threatened market.
For many years magazines have gotten away with only publishing a “green” issue about once a year, but some have missed the goal of the whole agenda. If gigantic magazines are unable to commit to publishing just one green issue a year, then they are not setting a good reputation that they will pay for it in the long run. Although the green issues have not been selling that well, they might have to make the sacrifice for the sake of the environment not just a fleeting trend. However as Jeff Bercovici points out in several articles that magazine ethos and practices are in fact an oxymoron. Vanity Fair within the past couple of years have put out journalistic hard hitting “green issues” but did not even put it on recycled paper. Also by putting Madonna on the cover trivializes the real images that should be at the forefront of global warming and greenhouse emissions. Without any real commitment to the simple cut down to paper used, is there any way to take this issue seriously. According to Co-op America there are every increasing magazine that do make the jump, and not just for one issue but make the commitment.
With all the heat on publishers the pressure on advertisers have become very realistic, but not good enough. With the Aveda Corporation going green meant more than paper, when in 2003-04 Aveda established an environmental media strategy that meant that their advertisers had to fill out a survey about their own environmental practices. If more publishers were to follow suit there would be an evolution in the way we view eco-friendly practices. It would not be for the few, but rather for the masses.
Also the introduction last year to ReMix, Recycling Magazines is Excellent, made a mockery of magazines own responsibility. All the information is focused on the consumer to just recycle their magazines. This however falls short when the thousands of magazines in production every day are unable to use recycled paper. I will admit that if everyone recycled more, hence creating more efficient recycling practices; however beneficial more education is to recycling, it is not just the consumer that needs to think about these issues.
With all of this considered there is the influence of technology and the Internet that has helped in the production, however the age of Internet users is still fairly young. If magazine publishers can commit to using green paper and mission statement that affects advertisers, consumers and the issues, then a wider range of ages will have no choice but to pay attention to the stand they are making.
With many other magazines pulling through on the challenge, Time, Inc for example, there is no reason for other major players to get left in the trash bin. If they do, it may be the antiquity of paper production and the gradual end of outdated production. More pressure needs to be put on the publishers themselves:
And if not now, then when?

Third World Chic




Vogue India recently received a lot of attention in the media, however probably not the kind the year old magazine was looking for. The magazine received a lot of flack for displaying designer bags and clothes—a Hermes handbag and a Burberry umbrella, among other items—on the poorest of India. One photo included a poor Indian woman carrying a baby wearing a hundred dollar Fendi bib; while the average person in India earns only 500 dollars each year, according to a Stanford study.

Photographers and editors alike made sure that these pictures weren’t shot in an air-conditioned studio, they were in a rural, dire background, (an unsuspecting eye might not even spot that the models were wearing the designer goods). It seems that the sad looking background and modest looking “models” were just a prop to make sure the designer items stood out and looked good.


Equally controversial is the fact that the photo “models” weren’t even named, while the designer swag was specifically identified.


“Lighten up,” editor in chief of Vogue India Priya Tanna said in a telephone interview to the New York Times. “Vogue is about realizing the “power of fashion” she said, and the shoot was saying that “fashion is no longer a rich man’s privilege. Anyone can carry it off and make it look beautiful,” she said. But is using some of India’s poorest as props to designer goods in good taste? And the last time I checked the kind of fashion that Vogue deals in is still a privilege of the rich.

“Earlier this summer clothes designed by India's poorest and most downtrodden women - 'night-soil carriers' from the country's untouchable caste - were modeled on a New York catwalk”, said Pamela Timms a writer for The Independent. So it seems this ‘Third World Chic’ might become a trend.

Pavan K Varma, former diplomat and author of 'The Great Indian Middle Class, noted that right now “money is fashionable” in India. And Vogue India is, no doubt, an extension of that mentality. But is hyper-consumerism and high end baby bibs, that they’ll never be able to afford, what India needs?

Random Appreciation: When Content Dictates Format



When we conceive of a typical arts magazine, we imagine it as a source of art-related news, complete with reviews, gallery information and articles concerned with the reporting and discussion of the arts. This format reflects the classic understanding of what the modern magazine is designed to accomplish: to educate and offer vicarious experience.

But what happens when the arts magazine becomes the gallery and the artist becomes the journalist? When the reader can be the writer and illustrations become the basis for content, instead of the other way around?

The result is an eloquently bound platform for creative expression.  An avant-garde journal inspired by unsystematic presentation fittingly titled Dossier, which is French for “file”.

In the words of the editors and founders, Skye Parrott and Katherine Krause, the publication is “an open forum in which to bring together fashion, art, literature, photography, design and food.”

This Brooklyn based, bi-annual magazine issued its first edition this past spring, launching a comprehensive website along side it.  And according to Dossierjournal.com, the print version is now distributed to over 22 countries.  

Skye says she and Katherine, who have been friends since they were fourteen, dreamt up the idea a long time ago but have only just brought it to life. Upon assembling a faction of artistically diverse people, hand-picked from an already established group of friends, and friends of friends, the editors gave full artistic freedom to the contributors. A rare privilege in the industry, but one that makes for interesting content. 

Some might argue that such creative autonomy could potentially lead to a muddled compilation of content devoid of direction. Samir Husni of mr.magazine.com, although gives praise, takes a similar stance when he says in his review of the magazine that:

While articles and pictures provide for great journalism, the thread uniting all of the content isn't there. This is expected for the first issue. I hope that Dossier will find a better way to organize their files, because it is definitely a filing cabinet to keep.”

But isn’t what gives the journal artistic merit the very fact that it promotes the randomness, the freewheeling nature of art in itself? Where the goal is to break free of the limitations of mainstream journalism, Dossier inspires artists to do what they do best, be unconventional. Isn’t that what most modern art is about in the first place? 

Skye told me over the phone that the magazine’s purpose is to provide “real fashion with high-end writing,” solid literary content with interesting visuals. Instead of just reviewing the arts, they seek to involve the arts, showcase them.    

We are in an age when the definition of a journalist has been blurred and is constantly shifting, when more and more; the general public demands a voice in the media. The natural progression is to embrace this interaction. Dossier welcomes this concept by encouraging people to participate in their creative process. But beyond that, the magazine embodies a sense of community support, offering up its pages to the everyday artist, the up-and-comer and well as to the practiced. And not just for the photographer or the painter, but the poet, the designer, musician, the creative writer. In essence, Dossier is a sanctuary for quality art that might otherwise not have a home. 

Color Gracing the Covers





Predominantly white women are on the covers of women’s magazines. While scavenging through magazine covers dating 20-40 years ago the number of ethnic faces are scarce. As we get to more present dates the increased amount of women of color that are shown is still a minority compared to the faces of the white women that are featured.

According to a 2008 communication research called, “A Changing View: Representation and Effects of the Portrayal of Women of Color in Mainstream Women’s Magazines”, in 1999, 9 percent of minorities, such as Black, Latina and others were represented and 99 percent were white.

In that research it also stated that in 2004, 17 percent of minorities were represented and 83 percent were white.

In that 5 year span there was an 8 percent increase. This increase may be so due to more women of color being in the spotlight or the media.

In 1968 Glamour featured Katiti Kironde II, an African American model. It was the first time a national women’s monthly magazine had a women of color on its cover. Kironde appearance on the cover made Glamour history of being the all-time high in sales record.

Also n 1996 Tyra Banks was the first African American woman to appear on the cover of GQ Magazine and Sports Illustrated. She prides herself on being one of the first women of color breaking boundaries and history by being on those covers.

Those two names and many others have become staples in the magazine business. They paved the way for models such as Jarah Mariano who was the first Asian women to be a Victoria’s Secret model.

“As a women color I have become somewhat immune to the fact that there is rarely ever a girl on the cover of a magazine that looks like me,” said Mabel Locket a Filipino SF resident 27. “ I feel that the strides that we are making as a society of having and seeing people of color out there in the media is great, but when will I ever see a Filipino model?”

As more and more ethnicities are being seen in the media, the more they are in high demand to be seen and to becoming a household name or brand.


The WTF of the Week


"The John McCain Sarah Palin Newsweek Cover is a Total Bore!" blared Mark Pasetsky's site "Cover Awards - The Media Industry's Guilty Pleasure" of the August 29 shot of the presidential nominee and his cohort.

And if it was a pendulum swing that Pasetsky and the public desired - it was a 180 degrees that he and we got. The September 8, 2008 Newsweek to hit the stands sported a VP nominee Palin touting - a baby? An American flag? The femur of a T-Rex? None of the above...a rifle.

Pasetsky goes on to say that magazines like Newsweek and TIME should be ashamed having resorted to producing the exact same covers in consecutive weeks for each side of the party to avoid criticism and seem unbiased. Without strapping on a bustle and attempting to evoke the fairness doctrine, is it too off base to mention, perhaps, equal coverage? It seems like a dated concept with TIME drinking Pepsi and Newsweek drinking Coca-Cola and the public drinking campaign Kool-aid, but some might relish in the bland portrayal of candidates not as icons but as intellectuals.

According to PNDPulse and Photo District News the Palin photo was a cutout of a six-year-old Alaska Stock photo shot by Judy Patrick in June 2002. (http://www.pdnpulse.com/2008/09/newsweeks-palin.html) Newsweek made no effort to conceal the usage of a borrowed photo from the past. But for a publication so capable of acquiring their own shots, the editorial intentions are somewhat unclear. The photo was interpreted by some as sexy. Is America supposed to fear Sarah Palin or feel safe under a mother who fears no moose?

Whether a voter wants Palin in the bleachers, in the bedroom or on the ballot, guns are a fringe issue. Her stance may be a telltale indicator of her character, but gun control at large would take constitutional reform.

In the September 8, 2008 Newsweek article Assistant Managing Editor Kathy Deveny writes, "If I'm really honest with myself, I'm mostly just happy that there's another woman on the national political stage. I think it's good for my 8-year-old daughter, who has called Hillary Clinton her idol. She doesn't love Hillary because of her health-care policy or pro-choice stance: she loves Hillary because she thinks girls rule. The more powerful women there are on the national stage, the better it is for all women, because this is a game of numbers."


Muddied as it may be whether the shot was pejorative, a nod of approval or just a memo from the circulations department saying to increase sales at all costs is apparently a null point. Palin could have been holding a missile and would still win the votes of the Lisa Frank club.

The issue is Newsweek missed the issue.

In this campaign cultural diversity rides in the backseat no matter if one is a conservative liberal or a liberal conservative. Case in point, if the nation's publications are going to pull peripheral dog-and-pony shows to the core, let the pendulum swing another 180 degrees. Mothers with 8-year-old daughters might be quick to turn the "Girls Rule" cheek to a "Boys Drool" shriek if Newsweek published a cover with Barack Obama holding a gun.

The Future of Advertising

A curious reader thumbing through the October 2008 issue of Wired Magazine may have noticed a heavy object halting the fan-like movement of the pages, forcing the seam open at the center. Each October issue of Wired included an insert with an exclusive Blu-Ray directors cut disc of COMA. A seven-part mini series that was created exclusively for mobile phones and the new line of VAIO notebooks by WIMO, Sony Electronics, and Microsoft.

On August 20, 2008 the COMA series premiered on Crackle.com, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures Entertainment Company and was later released to YouTube, Hulu, Verizon Wireless, and AT&T phone services.

In order to clarify the magazine insert to readers, WIMO and Sony explained what the Blu-Ray disc contained as well as the purpose behind its creation. "COMA was created on the belief that new technology demands original great entertainment," the advertisement said. Once the reader turned the insert over, a large picture of Sony's new VAIO FW notebook "featuring an advanced Blu-Ray disc drive" was featured with the star of COMA, Michael Madsen, on the VAIO screen.

The 3- to 5- minute "mobisodes" are the first of their kind, filmed with Sony High-Definition cameras and starring acclaimed actors, it is the most advanced content created specifically for mobile phones and the web to date. Available only online and through magazine inserts, the distribution of the series alone is unique.

But what does this mean for the magazine industry? In the midst of a waning economy and the increased drop in magazine ad revenue, the creative marketing ideas that have arisen out of this project have shown that the promotional opportunities are endless. Editors are concerned with increasing their ad revenue online but what if mobile programming continues to use magazine distribution in order to broaden their audience? This may be the symbiotic solution to the magazine industries increased financial woes. One thing is clear: the cross-promotion and distribution of COMA represents a change in traditional magazine advertising and the line between web content and editorial- for better or for worse- seems to be blending day by day.

Magazines' Attempt at Going "Green"

“The Green Issue”. Many major consumer magazine publications have published one. The one issue a season that is supposedly wholly dedicated to saving the environment and living with a “green” consciousness. According to Frank Locantore, director of the Magazine Paper Project for Co-Op America, only 100 published magazines are currently printed on recycled paper. In all reality, just how “green” are these magazines?

As I was flipping through the March 2008 “Green Issue” of Outside Magazine, I noticed the vast array of advertisements featuring oversized Chevy trucks and cheap airfare to exotic destinations. While the articles were based on everything from the climate crisis to stackable electrical cars, the coinciding ads were sending a mixed message to the readers’ eye. Tree Hugger, a company dedicated to making sustainability appeal to the mainstream market, found that Outside is printed on only 10% recycled paper.

Vanity Fair, a leading consumer fashion magazine has now published three “Green Issues” and have been widely criticized for merely “talking green”. Their green edition contained absolutely no recycled paper as previously planned before the issue was printed. While it may be argued that producing recycled paper still uses a lot of energy and contributes to deforestation, as long print magazine exists, more environmentally friendly paper is a small stepping stone forward rather than backward.

As pointed out in these special edition issues, the pressures for everyone to take environmental responsibility has become extremely evident these days, but hardly do the magazine publication houses actually practice what they preach. I would personally hate to see print magazine vanish completely, but in this age of advanced technology and the world wide web, digital magazines are on the verge of completely changing the face of the magazine industry. Several leading magazines, Spin, Relix, and California Home & Design, have already taken the leap on digital issues and have been hugely successful. While encouraging sustainability through mass media is greatly appreciated, seeing major publishers follow their own advice may give them more credibility on the issue of the climate crisis.

Monday, September 22, 2008

The Magazine Killer? Not quite yet.


Amazon.com users can’t help but know what the Kindle is. “Kindle: Amazon’s Revolutionary Wireless Device,” is usually plastered on the first page of the online store. Yet at $359.00, the “revolution” hasn’t had the same impact on printed materials as the iPod had on music. The 10-ounce white e-book reader hasn’t been as visible as the white ear buds.

The Kindle’s technology is what makes it so revolutionary. The Kindle utilizes an electric paper display, which mimics the appearance of ink on paper, and doesn’t leave the impression of viewing an electric display at all. The electric paper display is key, because the main hurdle for electronic books was that the process was too taxing on the eyes and body. Reading a PDF file is quite uncomfortable, and it’d be a feat of strength to read an entire book on a laptop.

A magazine isn’t just a wall of text though. Magazines are the most visually graphic of what is printed on paper, and the transition to Kindle hasn’t been kind. While paying $1.49 for a month of Time Magazine may seem like a great deal, the lack of pictures for the Kindle version has not been received well. One reviewer on Amazon.com wrote, “Time without Pictures is like the Braille edition of Playboy.”

Kindle users can subscribe to a Kindle version of many popular magazines like Time, Newsweek, and the Reader’s digest. Through Kindle’s free web service "Whispernet," users are “delivered” the same day that the print edition is. However, it’s far from a magazine killer at this point.

It’s only a matter of time before it potentially is though. The Kindle will inevitably improve upon itself, and be offered at a price that’s affordable for the masses. “Sure it’s $400, but you have to believe that a $99 version with color photos will be on Amazon by Christmas 2009,” wrote publisher of DISCOVER magazine Henry Donahue on his Blog. “With the way ink and paper prices have been going, that might not be such a band thing.”

Whether a cheaper and more vibrant Kindle will ultimately kill the magazine remains to be seen. In fact, the Kindle could rather invigorate the market the way the iPod did paired with the Tunes store. And while it's doubtful that magazines will ditch the news racks and move online, it's definitely an exciting (and fearful) time for readers, writers, and all those involved in the print business.

Magazines For Grown-Ups









About 12 years have passed since the dot-com boom made businesses realize that it’s vital to have a Web site in order to stay fresh in consumers' minds. With a new generation of entrepreneurs ushering in “Web 2.0”, these companies are faced with the challenge of giving their old sites a facelift; sprucing them up in order to keep them up-to-date with the latest Web technology.
Magazines are no different. Most glossies have at least an accompanying Web site, usually displaying digital copies of features from their latest issue, lists of staff e-mail addresses, and sometimes message boards. As consumer preferences shift toward faster, more interactive sources of information and entertainment, some magazines have embraced the Web not just as a way of communicating with readers, but as a promotional tool.
It’s true that teens and young adults rule the Web. Magazines geared toward a younger demographic often have Web sites that are accordingly cutting-edge, providing exclusive content such as blogs and video. Most readers of print magazines are older, educated people with steady jobs and families. How are magazines aimed at more mature audiences utilizing the Web?
The general trend seems to be that they are not quite up to speed with their more youthful counterparts, but they are getting there. Most Web sites attached to established magazines that target adults have harnessed the power of blogs, offering articles similar to the magazine’s content, but not a carbon-copy of the latest issue. These sites run the gamut from the shockingly hip to the shockingly drab.
News magazines lead the pack when it comes to Web 2.0 sensibilities. Both Newsweek and Time offer sophisticated sites that are constantly being updated with articles, video, and op-ed pieces not offered in the magazine. Newsweek’s site is flashy and slick, with animated ads, video, and photo slideshows screaming at you from the front page. Time is a little more subdued, but if you refresh your page a few times in an hour, you’ll see that the content featured on the home page is constantly changing as blogs are posted and breaking news is gathered from all over the world.
Magazines aimed at women over forty are also fast embracing the Internet. Redbook magazine is the front runner, featuring blogs, user-submitted recipes, and how-to videos on hairstyles and party ideas. Another women’s magazine using these techniques is More magazine. More is aimed at a trendier, more chic set of women than Redbook is, so the site is clean and stylish in layout. More’s site is like a grown-up version of Seventeen, offering slideshows about Hollywood hairstyles, exclusive beauty tips, and even a “virtual fitting room” where users can create avatars and dress them in the latest fashions. Parenting magazines like Cookie and Parents have also made use of tools like videos and exclusive blogs.
Another magazine style with a stronghold on the 35-plus demographic is home and garden. Surprisingly, sites like goodhousekeeping.com and bhg.com (Better Homes and Gardens) don’t have much to offer, considering this genre is rife with possibility for things like step-by-step instructional videos, before/after slideshows, recipe forums, and message board interactivity. Goodhousekeeping.com has many of the same features that sites for women’s magazines utilize, including recipes, beauty tips, and virtual dressing rooms. The clear loser in this category is sunset.com, the online home of Sunset magazine. Though the editorial content is much more forward-thinking than that of either Good Housekeeping or Better Homes and Gardens, the Web site is a bore to look at and a bore to browse, offering hardly anything more than just digitally-regurgitated copies of articles from the latest issue.
One day we will live in a world where videos and slideshows are the norm in delivering the news online. Until then, it’s up to the tech-savvy 18-30-year-old set to lead the way, and their parents to catch up.

What Happened to Cosmo?


The concept that sex sells is so prevalent and so ingrained in our culture that the phrase has surpassed the status of a cliché -- it's as normal and expected as death and taxes. If you asked a random person on the street, they'd probably blame one entity as the source of our sex-saturated society: the media, with magazines targeting young men and women as major culprits. So which publications hold the top circulation spots in this genre? None other than two unabashed purveyors of sex, Playboy and Cosmopolitan magazines. Playboy hasn't budged much from its original formula since launching in December 1953 with a scandalous centerfold of bombshell Marilyn Monroe. Cosmopolitan, on the other hand, is an entirely different story.

Cosmopolitan published its first issue in 1886, as a "first-class family magazine," according to publisher Paul Schlicht. In 1897, it was acquired by Hearst publishing, which added more investigative articles, built upon by a strong fiction theme in the 1940s. By 1955, its circulation was down to just over 1 million and steadily declined for the next ten years.

Then came Helen Gurley Brown. In 1962, her book Sex and the Single Girl came out, sending a shockwave through the lives of young, single women. She received so many thank-you notes from readers that she decided to start her own magazine as a platform for the new lifestyle she was championing. After several rejections from New York publishers, Brown met with the people at Hearst, who instead offered her their dying general interest magazine, Cosmopolitan.

The first Brown-controlled issue hit the stands in September 1965, with an article about the newly introduced birth control pill and a doe-eyed brunette in a low-cut top on the cover. In April 1972, the magazine ran a controversial, near-nude centerfold of actor Burt Reynolds. Despite catching criticism for its racy new format, Brown stood behind her philosophy -- that women didn't need men to be happy or successful, but should be free to have sex with anyone they pleased. In the Cosmopolitan article "How Cosmo Changed the World," writer Jennifer Benjamin explains that what Cosmopolitan's detractors "didn't seem to realize was, Cosmo's gentler brand of feminism was more realistic and palatable. 'Cosmo is feminist in that we believe women are just as smart and capable as men are and can achieve anything men can,' says Helen. 'But it also acknowledges that while work is important, men are too. The Cosmo girl absolutely loves men!'"

As previously mentioned, today Cosmopolitan is the most popular young women's magazine on newsstands, as well as #18 in nationwide circulation for any American magazine. Today, it is published in more than 100 countries and has been available in 34 languages, with three television networks in Spain, Latin America, and Canada. But this success hasn't been all girl power and envelope pushing. In recent years, Cosmopolitan's feminist message has been overshadowed by that bit about men being important as well. This month's issue features actress Kate Hudson, with coverlines such as "His Body: The Nonverbal Cues that Let You Read His Mind," "15 Date Ideas He'll Be Into," and "How Long Guys Want Sex to Last."

Many third-wave feminists argue that Cosmopolitan has gotten away from its 1960's roots as a feminist platform in favor of our increasingly consumerist and hegemonic culture, where the ideal woman struts around in cleavage-baring outfits and spends her leisure time reading about 10,000 new ways to please her man. But as with most things in this business, the numbers don't lie -- 3 million happy women can't be wrong.

As Advertising Dollars Drop, It Is Time To Consider New Advertising

Advertising revenues in magazines, mirroring the economy today, have dropped drastically compared to last year’s numbers while circulation also continues to decline. This is putting magazines in a tight situation with less money in their pocket to fund editorial content.

According to a Media Week article, McClatchy advertising sales are down almost 18 percent compared to last year’s sales. A New York Times article also recently published that magazine sales have declined a little over 6 percent. McClatchy has announced that unfortunately it will decrease its staff 10 percent to try to cut costs.

Increasing advertising money will provide better editorial content for readers and therefore increase circulation and advertising money. This is a grim time for magazines and although they are not facing as high a deficit as newspapers, magazines need to re-imagine their advertising technique(s) to include new methods to get advertiser’s messages to the reader.

There are many new marketing ideas that can be used in today’s magazine world. The most technologically savvy step would to make an advertising presence on the internet. This would include more than the typical pop-up/under and banner ads that are used in today’s marketing. The internet is not a new medium, but magazines have been reluctant to consider it a major source for advertising revenue. With print ads dropping, it is time for magazines to make the leap into the internet advertising world. Great examples of magazines that utilize online advertising would be Spin Magazine and Ebony Magazine in addition to many lesser know magazines like MC Magazine.

By creating an online pdf version of their print editions, magazines can include online advertising with their print prices. In addition, as seen in Spin Magazine, advertisers can then create special ads for the online editions. Magazines can create direct links to send readers to websites to buy advertiser’s products. A report from the Magazine Publishers of America says that people are two times more likely to go to a website of a product they liked when seen from a magazine ad. By creating an online edition of a magazine, it will allow more readers easier access to immediately shop for products advertised in the magazine. By intertwining their magazine and internet advertising alone, print magazines can increase their advertising revenues.

Cosmo has also incorporated the internet into their marketing as they have announced they will partner with YouTube to find female musicians. This marketing technique will incorporate all aspects of a magazine. It will increase advertising money, particularly music advertising, while increasing circulation or, at the very least readership and a relationship with viewers. This can also provide increased editorial content for the magazine. This is another way magazines can use the internet to increase their advertising dollars. By cross promoting with other companies they can reach an audience they may never have had or increase their presence within that audience which will bring more advertising money.

As magazines face the realities of our current economy, it is now the time for them to start looking at new ways to increase advertising revenues. As times and technology change, the magazine industry must change too. Magazines no longer paste up physical copies of every page to be produced, replacing that with desktop publication. It is now time that magazines incorporate new advertising techniques into their business model so they can continue to provide readers with material they have been promised and have come to rely on and trust.

"Special Edition"

It’s interesting how the July 2008 issue of Italia Vogue is seen as a “special edition” because it's an all black issue. There’s not going to be a “special edition” for white women because they’re already on the covers of fashion magazines, making that our cultural “norm” and standard for beauty. The July issue shows that having a lot of black women in a magazine isn’t considered apart of the “norm”, unless it’s Ebony or Essence.

After the issue was distributed, people had an array of negative and positive responses. Some people responded to online blogs, such as Thread Trend and Jezebel saying that this a little too late, while others say that this is a step forward or reality check to bring back black models to the fashion industry, and also start putting more on magazine covers.

According to West Australian newspaper, Franca Sozzani, editor of Italia Vogue said to Presse-Agentur DPA that she first got the idea of the all black issue during a conversation with the successful black supermodel Naomi Campbell, and was further inspired by the United State’s presidential primary race between Democrats, Sen. Barack Obama and Sen.Hillary Clinton.

Sozzani said that the change that America is going through with having their first black presidential candidate was a part of the inspiration to have her magazine feature all black subjects and models, and to represent different faces of beauty.

This was supposed to be an all black issue, but while flipping through the pages, between the editorial material about black issues, people, and news are advertisements that have white people in them, making the issue not exactly what it was publicized and anticipated to be.

The celebrity photographer, Steven Meisel, shot the pictures for the issue. He shared his theory about why black women aren’t on the runways as much anymore to New York Magazine, saying that a part of the reason may be rooted from either or both fashion designers and magazine editors.

They’re the ones who have the upper hand on what’s in or out when it comes to content in the magazines or who they want to wear their clothes down the runway.

He also mentioned how advertisers are connected to the content of magazines, because they choose who to cast in the advertisements.

Meisel said that when he shoots ads, sometimes he asks the advertisers if they can use a black woman instead, and they would say no, because advertisers think that they won’t make money if they product is associated to a non-white.

Some of the models that are in the issue are familiar and new faces such as Iman, Tyra Banks, Naomi Cambell, Jourdan Dunn, Karen Alexander, Alek Wek, and even the plus-size America’s Next Top Model contestant Tocarra Jones, who Sozzani didn’t want in the issue at first.

Although many people felt that Meisel’s photography was very tasteful and beautiful, others felt that the models were still styled in a “white beauty” type of way from their hair or their makeup, that some of the nudity was unnecessary, or that they didn’t like how some of the models were wearing animal print or furs giving off the look of being animalistic.

People can either see Italia Vogue’s effort in a positive, genuine way to break open the door again for black models in the fashion industry or a way to make money because it was a “special edition”, but at the end it’s hard to pin point who’s at fault when it comes to the lack of diversity in magazines, because the people in power are interconnected in many ways and are driven by their society’s culture and belief of what’s attractive and marketable to who they feel will keep their magazines alive.











Interview: Chasen Marshall, Longboard Magazine

When lifelong surfer and Costa Mesa, California native Chasen Marshall isn't catching waves, he's writing about them and capturing their beauty in a snap. The 25-year-old lover of writing, reading, cooking, soccer and traveling has turned his admiration for surfing into a career at Longboard magazine. Now the Managing Editor, Chasen is living the dream. When he's not fantasizing about the small fishing villages of Cinque Italy or enjoying a relaxing camping trip with his buddies, he's acting out his deepest devotions and getting paid for them. Life isn't so bad for Chasen Marshall.

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Jackie Thunem: How did you end up in journalism?

Chasen Marshall: Well, I really disliked english in high school, but I loved to read. I read a ton of books and always was reading the sports page of the Los Angeles Times, so I think that kind of set in the back of my mind an interest in journalism. During my senior year, my advisor on the newspaper staff made the comment that I should consider a career in writing/reporting and it's kind of grown from there.

JT: How did you land a spot at Longboard? Was it a who ya know or what ya know kind of deal?

CM: Actually I just started as an intern. My advisor in college was always announcing internship opportunities that were sent her way, and one that she announced was for LBM, so I contacted them. I worked as an intern the summer before my senior year of college, went back to school and then they hired me full-time after I graduated. From there I've just worked my way up the hierarchy and now I'm currently working as the magazines Managing Editor.

JT: Do you feel you are based in the best place for the sake of the magazine or would you prefer to be somewhere else?

CM: The magazine office is located in San Clemente, CA, which is pretty much right in the middle of a hotbed for surfing. A number of other big surf magazines are in the area as well like SURFER and Surfer's Journal so it would seem we're wise in staying around. Being right in the middle of San Diego and Los Angeles, it allows us the opportunity to cover a wide range of breaks and top surfers.

JT: What is a normal day of work like?

CM: I've been doing a lot of photography for the magazine over the past year or so. So a number of my mornings are spent on the sand documenting some of the best longboarders in the world. Once I grab a cup of coffee and get to the office, I'll usually make a few calls and return a few emails until the remainder of the editorial staff gets in. We'll usually chit-chat a bit about where the production is on the current issue, pass around copy for editing and work on pieces as well. It's a small staff, so everyone is involved with most every level of production, from writing, to editing to occasionally a little design. Maybe there will be a meeting with the advertising department, but usually every day is pretty different.

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JT: Let's talk about Longboard magazine, what is the focus and message the magazine is putting out there?

CM: We try to serve as a voice and vehicle for the sport of longboarding. Trends, contests, profiles, gear, travel destinations, history — it's all a part of the product we try to produce.

JT: What age demographic are you trying to reach? And who is your reader?

CM: Well, our reader's coverage a pretty large age range, typically from 15-55, give or take. Our average reader is probably in the 25-35 range. The magazine is distributed worldwide, with the majority of distribution on the East and West Coast of the U.S., along withHawaii and Australia.

JT: Would you say circulation is increasing or decreasing?

CM: I would assume circulation is decreasing, which is a trend that seems to be common throughout the publishing industry. As more and more people are becoming comfortable with surfing the web, they realize they can find their news and entertainment in a more timely manner on the web. On that note, our circulation hasn't had any drastic changes.

JT: I'm noticing a major online shift in the magazine industry, do you have plans to go that route?

CM: The magazine has a website, but the common theme on there seems to be "Coming Soon." So, yeah, it's there, but it needs a lot of work. I would agree that the web presence is huge for magazines, and in that realm we are heavily behind the curve. I would like to believe that the magazine will try to make further strides in that medium.

JT: So you're the managing editor and I heard you shoot the surfers as well. How does that work for you?

CM: I really enjoy having that added element with my job. Not that I didn't enjoy what I was previously doing, but it's something that is new to me. New and exciting. It's fun to see myself make progress, come up with a few good photos for the magazine and see my name in photo credits in other magazines when I sell a photo (not that many to date). It has definitely helped with my relationship with the surfers, since having photos in the magazine is much more important to them than having their name in print. It also allows me to spend more time with the men and women involved with the sport, and as I see and talk to them more and more, it does occasionally lead to story ideas and good contacts. Plus it saves the magazine money when we aren't having to buy every photo.

JT: I'm aware that there are two types of longboarding; traditional and progressive. What do you think the future of longboarding will be?

CM: I think it should and will be a blend of the two. Unfortunately the two schools have hurt the sport because in a competitive arena, it's difficult to measure one against the other. So a number of top competitors have stepped away due to frustrations in the contest scene. There is no one true identity in performance, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it diversifies the sport and makes it difficult to market, which has an effect on whether or not the surfers can make a career out the gig. But I can also see the sport going mainly high-performance/progressive in contests/judging criteria, and the traditional surfers becoming more of the photo/freesurf/lifestyle-type guys, who don't make contests and such their main priority.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Covering Culture: Fact vs. Personality

This fall, two very different publications; National Geographic Magazine and 7x7 San Francisco, covered the popular topics of local, organic farming and the “Slow Food Movement.” The September 2008 cover of National Geographic (NG), a society membership publication known for features on science discovery and global culture, showed the deeply embedded, tiny roots of a 12-year-old soy bean plant alongside the coverline, “Where Food Begins.” 7x7 Magazine, which covers regional culture in the seven square miles of San Francisco, showed carrots, summer squash, and yellow wax beans pulled from the soil and resting on a weathered piece of plywood for the August 2008 cover.

Both evoke the mood of earthiness and simplicity, but a reader can judge the magazine by the subtle differences on each cover. The bean sprout reminds onlookers of biology class, an image consistent with NG’s reporting approach and focus on science. 7x7’s arrangement of vegetables and large letters: “Eat + Drink” add a human connection and give the impression of cooking and dining.

Starting with a four-page feature entitled “The New Crop,” 7x7 covers Slow Food with a locally grown produce guide (with close-up photos of fruits and veggies) and an event list to the Slow Food Nation Labor Day celebration. The August issue includes a wide range of cultural content and even has an alternate cover photo of a pulled-pork sandwich from the Richmond District. Publisher Tom Hartle says, “We are in the midst of re-imagining what 7x7 can be.”

On the other hand, NG, with its audience and style nailed down, delivers a cover story on soil conservation throughout the world and back-of-the-book blips on organic lawn care, and 1950s soil erosion. Related to NG’s soil theme, coverage of organic farming and the Slow Food Movement begins (and ends) with a feature inside the Eco-Living Food section. Like 7x7, the feature is four pages long and portrays organic farming in a positive light.

Staying traditional, NG defines “eating green,” and describes the carbon footprint of a meal using quotes from researchers at schools like Cornell, University of Michigan, and NYU. Only two out of five photos in the simple layout show actual farmers; focus is on location, process, and products.

The article jumps right into Italy, where the Slow Food Movement began. NG quotes the Slow Food Italy president and marks out special meal regions on a map of Italy. The article switches from an image of Italian farmers testing a giant vat of parmesan cheese to the growing demand for organic food in Munich markets.

NG’s coverage slightly softens with profiles of a Scottish farmer who influenced markets in the town of Fife, and an Icelandic baker who uses underground geothermal heat to bake bread. However, images are hardly personal; the Fife farmer stands in the background of his greenhouse, and the only Icelandic image is one of sliced bread.

In 7x7’s “The New Crop,” author Sara Deseran focuses on four organic California farmers with photos revealing their faces and personalities. Deseran even personalizes each with a human interest story, and a cute, pun caption: “The City Slicker” is San Franciscan Jason Mark, an urban farmer who also helps teenagers from a local public housing community learn about cultivation, and “The Beverly Hillbilly” is David Retsky, who left Los Angeles urban life behind to farm in Petaluma.

Though both issues cover Slow Food, 7x7 reads like a narrative, explaining how farmers got interested and how they feel about it, and NG reads like a report, focusing on the world’s key organic farms. One reveals a personal profile of culture, while the other delivers historical roots, scientific facts, and hard data.