SOME FAVORABLE RESULTS POSTED BY

A HANDFUL OF POPULAR MAGAZINES 

Every now and then over the past six months, a bright spot has been reported in the magazine industry, but hardly enough to offset the drastic slippage in ad pages in 2009. Earlier this month, The Wooden Horse reported that magazines lost 58,340 ad pages last year. This week Meg Weaver’s trusty newsletter bolsters our spirits with this tidbit of joy. 

Conde Nast announced that ad pages in the March issue of Glamour are expected to come in 6% ahead. In February, Vogue pages increased 3% and the outlook for the next three months is strong. 

At Rodale, spirits were heightened with the announcement that Prevention’s March edition will increase ad pages by 31% and revenue by 27%. The company reports that 44 new advertisers are in the forthcoming edition. 

Profit at Meredith’s National Media Division has jumped for its current quarter by just under 40%. Ad revenue at the company’s Better Homes & Gardens was up 7%. 

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EDITOR & PUBLISHER, THE BIBLE OF

THE NEWSPAPER WORLD, IS ALIVE AGAIN 

After a short hiatus caused by Nielsen’s decision to close the “Bible of the Newspaper Industry,” a new purchaser has taken over the property. California-based Duncan McIntosh Co’s purchase ended the two-week shut down.  

There will be some staffing changes. Although Charles McKeown will stay on as Publisher, a new Editor, Mark Fitzgerald, will take over. He has served as the magazine’s Editor-at-large. 

The new owner is best known for its several boating publications. It is also the sponsor of several boat shows. 

It is reassuring for this old newspaper hand to know that E&P will continue its 126-year history of reporting on all phases of news generated by the world of newspapers. 

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SOME WELCOME NEWS FROM THE MAGAZINE WORLD,

BOTH DIGITAL AND IN PRINT 

The Wooden Horse reports that circulation has jumped at five of the leading print business magazines. Unfortunately, advertising pages have not kept pace with the growth in readership. Among the five are Forbes which posted a12% jump to more than 6 million readers. Fortune climbed 9% to 4 million and The Economist added 3 million readers, a 6% increase. 

A survey by Min Online finds, “There has been some remarkable growth among titles (online) in the last year at a rate that far outpaces the incremental expansion the Web is seeing in the U.S. overall.” The firm goes on to explain that a number “are starting to break out of the traffic levels we might associate with ‘companion sites’ and are collecting  regular audiences of 1 to 2 million or more users.” 

Among some of the diverse list of leading magazines cited are Glamour.com, Tennis.com, Womens Health.com. 

Is this just a blip? Or are we at last turning the corner and opening up new positions both on and offline for the many waiting and hungry freelance writers? 

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READER’S DIGEST GROUP TAKES A TURN TO THE RIGHT

EMPHASIZING CONSERVATIVE  & RELIGIOUS VALUES 

After years of service as Middle America’s folksy, inspirational “bible,” the venerable Reader’s Digest company is turning to religious leaders like evangelist Rick Warren as it tries to soften its financial losses  by reaching out to the nation’s religious right.  

A new program, labeled “Purpose Driven Connection,” will offer a combination of print magazine, DVDs and religious workbooks four times a year. The $30 subscription will also give participants membership in a social network. Sounds like stodgy old Reader’s Digest is coming of digital age! 

Circulation is being decreased by approximately 2.5 million and the name sake magazine will now appear only 10 months of the year. 

If it is successful, this experiment will be only phase one of the new emphasis, according to Mary Berner, the company’s President and CEO, who anticipates introducing new publications aligned with other religious leaders. 

How interesting that this icon of American publishing has to turn to the spiritual to bail it out of its financial mess. Is this some variation of charity begins at home? 

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