Mass Comm ch5

Harper’s Weekly (1850)

One of the early American magazines that featured news, literature, and illustrations.

Postal Act of 1879

Allowed magazines to be mailed more cheaply, encouraging national circulation.

Time (1923)

Weekly news magazine offering a brief overview of current events.

The New Yorker (1925)

Magazine known for commentary, fiction, satire, and journalism.

American Magazine (1741)

Published by Andrew Bradford, one of America’s first magazines.

General Magazine and Historical Chronicle 

Benjamin Franklin’s early magazine for the British colonies in America.

Early Magazines

Reprinted British material, were expensive, and had few readers due to low literacy rates.

Expansion of Magazines

Driven by cheaper printing, higher literacy, and reform movements like abolitionism and labor reform.

Post–Civil War Magazines 

Shifted from elite audiences to a mass medium.

Women’s Magazines

Key to growth; focused on suffrage and homemaking.

Railroad Expansion

Helped distribute magazines nationally.

Industrialization

Increased leisure time, allowing people to read more

Muckraking

Crusading journalism using magazines to expose corruption and push for social change.

Photojournalism

Using photographs to tell news stories visually.

Mass Medium

Magazines became a leading source for advertising and information.

2017 New Yorker Story

Broke the Harvey Weinstein sexual assault story, sparking the #MeToo movement.

1950s Television Competition

Magazines lost dominance as TV reached wider audiences.

Specialization & Lifestyle Orientation

Magazines began targeting specific, fragmented audiences.

Engagement 

The depth of readers’ connection with magazines and their ads.

Affinity 

The degree to which readers trust and enjoy magazine ads (higher than TV or online).

Types of Magazines

1. Trade, professional, and business magazines

2. Industrial, company, and sponsored magazines

3. Consumer magazines sold by subscription

Magazine Numbers

6,950 in 1950; over 20,000 today.

Editorial to Advertising Ratio

54% editorial, 46% advertising.

Total Audience

Combination of print and digital readers; used to set ad rates.

Paywalls

Many magazines charge for access to digital versions of print content.

Digital Versions

Most magazines now have online editions.

Effectiveness of Print Ads

Hard-copy advertisements are often more impactful than digital ones.

Digital Newsstands

Services like Apple News+ that host multiple magazine titles.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Lets readers use phones to access online content linked to printed pages.

Near-Field Communication (NFC) Chip

Tag in a magazine page connecting readers to an ad’s digital content.

Custom Publishing

Magazines created by companies to reach a specific audience (e.g., Airbnb Magazine).

Internationalization

Creation of international editions and foreign adaptations of magazines.

Artificial Intelligence in Publishing

Used to assist or replace human writers.

Complimentary Copy

Editorial content that reinforces an advertiser’s message.

Self-Censorship 

Editors avoid angering advertisers by limiting controversial content.

Sponsored Content

Articles paid for by advertisers that resemble editorial material.

FTC Disclosure Rule

Requires sponsored content to be clearly labeled as advertising.

Online Magazines (e.g., Teen Vogue) 

Often more interactive and digitally focused.