Big Ideas for the Magazine Print Industry

1. Decline of general interest and Rise of special interest magazines
2. The Staff: Editorial, Advertising, and Circulation
3. Controversy

• In the late 1960s to early 1970s, the General Interest magazines were in decline due to fewer advertisers, who were turning to television to place their ads. The demand for the magazines was still successful, but the high prices to produce the magazines led to the cutting of subscription, and then stopping production all together. In the latter part of the 20th century, the attention was put on special interest magazines, creating  target marketing, a milestone in mass media. Specialized magazines offered their reader specific information they couldn't find anywhere else, and these are the magazines that generate the most revue today, particularly consumer magazines.
• The players in the magazine industry are the Editorial staff, the advertising staff, and circulation staff. The Editor in Chief is the head of the editorial  staff and decides what goes in the magazine. Other supporting editors supervise specific sections/topics in the magazines to oversee and write about. The Advertising staff is in charge of creating a relationship with advitisors; this department either makes or breaks a magazine. Advertisers are needed to money to produce the magazine and for content (particularly for consumer magazines). The last is circulation staff, who is in charge of finding and keeping subscribers, etc.
• Of course, there has to be some controversy, this time its particularly about the "message" magazines portray, particularly about the image of women. For example, fashion magazines portray women as to thin, "men entertainment" magazines send the message that they can treat men any which way, and so on. Other controversy included writing information that is more fiction that fact (National Enquirer) and so on and so on.

Big Question:

The age old question: How will magazines compete with new technology, and the convenience of the internet? Obviously the magazine business is fairing pretty well compare to the newspaper, because of their specific topics for specific consumers. But how long will this last? Will advertisers find new venues to place their ads? Stay tuned.