Blog Magazine

Magazine Cover Controversy: What Do You Think?

Over the last few days celebrity gossip blogs have been buzzing over the latest magazine cover controversy. This time around, it's the April issue of the UK's Q Magazine that's stirring up the fuss. American retailers like Borders are putting the magazine on their shelves only if the cover is well, covered. The so-called controversial magazine cover features the always-outrageous pop star Lady GaGa topless (though mostly covered) and grabbing her crotch.

What do you think? Does this Q magazine cover cross the line?

Go Magazine Best Inflight Magazine

Today the North American Travel Journalists Association announced it has selected Go magazine as the best inflight magazine in 2009. Go magazine is the inflight magazine for AirTran AirWays.

Last month Go magazine celebrated its fifth anniversary.The NATJA awards honor the best travel writing, photography and travel promotion submitted by travel journalists, travel magazines, public relations agencies and destination marketing organizations from the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

Do you read inflight magazines?

Anna Wintour Elected to Magazine Editors Hall of Fame

Few magazine editors become as iconic as their publications. Anna Wintour is one of them. Known for her unchanging personal style (pageboy bob haircut and gigantic sunglasses) and as one of the most powerful people in the fashion industry, she is as much an institution in the fashion world as Vogue magazine.

Monday the American Society of Magazine Editors announced that Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue magazine, is the latest editor to be inducted into the organization's magazine editors hall of fame. She will be honored at the National Magazine Awards Annual Gala in New York on April 22.

“Throughout her career, Anna Wintour has exemplified the highest standards of taste, in both journalism and fashion,” said Sid Holt, Chief Executive of ASME, in a press release. “She has defined style for a generation of magazine readers and come to epitomize the essential qualities of editorial leadership.”

Anna Wintour began her career in 1970 in the fashion department of Harpers & Queen in London and joined Harper’s Bazaar magazine after moving to New York in 1976. She became a senior editor at New York in 1981 and creative director at Vogue in 1983. She was appointed editor-in-chief of Vogue in July 1988.

ASME's announcement came the same day as the DVD-release of "The September Issue," a documentary that centers around Anna Wintour and the eight-month time period leading up to Vogue magazine's biggest fashion issue of the year. The documentary first premiered last year at the Sundance Film Festival.

The Magazine Editors’ Hall of Fame was established in 1995 to recognize the editorial achievements and accomplishments of leading journalists and honors distinguished service to the magazine industry. Among the members of the Hall of Fame best known to the general public are Martha Stewart, Tina Brown, Hugh Hefner, Gloria Steinem, Jann S. Wenner and Helen Gurley Brown.

Recently, the American Society of Magazine Editors also announced that Michael Kinsley, former editor of The New Republic, The Washington Monthly, Harper's and a founding editor at Slate.com, has been elected to the Magazine Editor’s Hall of Fame. Michael Kinsley will be inducted at the National Magazine Awards for Digital Media in New York City on March 18. He currently writes a column for The Atlantic.
   

JET Magazine Launches Redesign; Publisher Remains

Earlier this month the 59-year-old JET magazine announced it was launching new content, new design, layout and logo to appeal to a multi-generational readership. Billed by its publisher Johnson Publishing Co. as "the world's No. 1 African-American newsweekly," the changes are according to the publisher, "the most sweeping evolution of its iconic brand in the company's history." The inaugural redesigned issue hit stands February 8.

While the magazine has kept some of its most-popular content like the JET Beauty and JET Love sections, it has introduced new sections including JET Perspective, Buzz and Style. The content also showcases a variety of points of view on topics impacting black America. The makeover follows a revamp of Jet magazine's sister publication Ebony magazine.

JET magazine, first published in November 1951, is known for its photos and coverage of the Civil Rights Movement including the lynching of Emmett Till, the Montgomery bus boycott and Martin Luther King Jr.

In related news, Folio magazine reported yesterday that Earvin “Magic” Johnson buying Ebony and Jet publisher Johnson Publishing has fallen through. In a statement issued Monday, Johnson, who serves as chairman and CEO of Magic Johnson Enterprises, said his company was unable to reach a deal to acquire the Chicago-based magazine publisher.

Magazine News Round-Up

The Reader's Digest Association Inc., publisher Reader's Digest magazine has left Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after six months with much less debt and a new board of directors.

Zinio is launching the first-ever cross-publisher ad network for digital magazines, which will enable brands to do bulk buys of ads in the digital versions of magazines from 15 publishers, including Active Interest Media, Bonnier Corporation, Hachette Filipacchi Media, Hearst Magazines, Source Interlink Media, VIV Publishing and Ziff Davis Media.

While magazine publishers are a little slow on the digital readers uptake, they are more aggressively embracing apps, AdAge reports.

Afar Magazine Featured on Martha Stewart Show

Last year Afar magazine launched with much fanfare. Last month the bi-monthly "experimental travel" magazine raised its rate base by 50 percent to 75,000 and reorganized its staff. Today Afar magazine continues its smart branding and publicity efforts with an appearance on Martha Stewart's syndicated show; all 180 audience members received a free magazine subscription from Afar magazine co-founder Joe Diaz.

Theme of Martha Stewart's syndicated program Friday (Feb. 19) is travel, and September 2009 launch Afar is a "find" of hers. Bimonthly is on "experiential travel"; that is, connecting with the locals culturally rather than just being tourists. Here, she is photographed with San Francisco-based Afar co-founder/VP sales and brand development Joe Diaz, who gave all 180 in the New York audience a free subscription.

Good News for Magazine Industry

As we've mentioned before, any good news in the magazine industry is great and worth mentioning. Even the small stuff makes us feel pretty darn good.  Today, we'd like to mention some small stuff. First, almost double the number of new magazines started last month than in the entire year of 2009, reports magazine industry expert Mr. Magazine. The total: 56 new magazines.

Also, AdAge recently reported that though monthly magazines' ad pages declined 5.7%  from the first quarter of 2009, a much smaller loss than the "double-digit plunges" that have become the norm since 2008. 

Hooray for good news!

 

 

Real Simple Magazine Partners with Bed, Bath and Beyond

Real Simple magazine is once again partnering with a retailer to sell Real Simple magazine-branded household organizing and storage products. This time around the women's magazine is partnering with Bed, Bath and Beyond and the products will be called Real Simple Solutions and available to shoppers in March.

The women's magazine already sells branded home office products at 1,400 Target locations. Real Simple magazine is among a handful of magazines that offer branded-products at big retail locations and in our opinion, to do it well.

What do you think about magazine-branded products? Are you a fan?

Working Mother Magazine Features Celebrity Moms

After years of featuring everyday working moms with their kids on its covers, Working Mother magazine has started featuring celebrity moms. Former Olympian Kristi Yamaguchi  is the first celebrity on Working Mother magazine‘s February/March cover while actress Kelly Rutherford will appear on the magazine’s April cover.
 
Working Mother magazine is the third magazine to change cover strategies lately. Scholastic Parent & Child and Prevention magazine recently started featuring celebrities too.
 
The editors of these magazines said they felt celebrity women and moms’ images would be uplifting to their readers, reports Mediaweek.
 
What do you think? Is putting celebrities on their covers a good move for these magazines?
 
 

Magazine News Round-Up

Actress and comedian Tina Fey is the latest “victim” of the latest cover photo-altering “scandal” making its way around the Web. For her appearance on the March Vogue magazine cover,  critics say the fashion magazine editors erased a scar on Fey’s face. 

• Many niche and regional magazines including the Utne Reader and D magazine have dropped their memberships to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, “the gold standard of media audits,” reports Mediaweek.  The high cost of the membership, which can run $10,000 a year for a small magazine, is a major reason publishers are dropping the membership.   In other Audit Bureau of Circulations news,  the organization announced earlier this month that Better Homes & Gardens is now the best-selling consumer magazine with a total circulation of 7.6 million. Reader’s Digest formerly held this coveted-distinction.

• OK! Magazine has partnered with Winter Olympics advertiser Procter & Gamble for four issues through February 15. The partnership includes an editorial package that features P&G products throughout beauty pages, a travel section on Vancouver and Olympic athletes featured in party photos.