Blog Magazine

Magazine Brings Marriage Column to the Internet

Since 1953, Ladies’ Home Journal outlined real-life troubled marriages in its popular "Can This Marriage Be Saved?" column. Now, Ladies’ Home Journal is taking the column to--where else--the Internet.

“It continues to be our best-read column, and we think the time is right to bring this modern, relevant concept to the Web and other new-media outlets,” said Sally Lee, Ladies' Home Journal editor-in-chief.

At CanThisMrriageBeSaved.com, the column's online presence is a series of webisodes straight from the pages of the magazine. The videos dramatize marriage predicaments based on columns from the magazine's archives and include, "Our Dog is Coming Between Us" and "His Mother is Tearing Us Apart." To see how the couples' resolve their issues, viewers click back to the Ladies' Home Journal Web site to read the full column.

“Our goal is really to be the brand that women think of when they think of marriage and we have the content and capabilities to do just that,” added Lee.

The Buzz is Back: Magazine Publishers and iPad

Since January's iPad announcement there's been a lot of speculation about how the magazine industry will embrace and profit from e-readers. Though a handful of companies have produced prototypes of versions of magazines e-readers, not much of the early hype has remained; instead, for the most part the focus of much of e-reader reporting has been on books.

Then, last week a stunning presentation of a concept video for a digital edition of VIVmag hit the Internet. While the previous concepts were impressive, this one takes how magazines could look on a digital reader to an 11. Among the features are a motion cover concept; Geek.com explains all the bells and whistles in great detail.

Finally yesterday the buzz surrounding iPads and magazine publishers reemerged with the Wall Street Journal reporting that magazine publishers and advertisers are "lining up for the launch of the tablet computer next week;" 

The Wall Street Journal states, "Magazines largely are planning downloadable iPad applications that are near-replicas of the stories in the print versions, but they are demonstrating the new-media bells and whistles for advertisers: add-ons like videos, social-networking tools and navigation that take advantage of the large screen, touch technology and Internet connections of the tablet computer."

New Magazine Hopes to Fight Child Obesity

Cookbook author Sally Sampson has created a free quarterly magazine, called ChopChop that aims to fight against child obesity.  The magazine, which features fun ways to get kids to eat healthy foods, will be delivered to doctors' offices and school children to more than 30 states.

Celebrity Scandals and Magazines

Apparently this is a big week for breaking news and "exclusive" coverage of celebrity scandals thanks to GQ, In Touch Weekly magazine and People magazine. Earlier this week as we mentioned, everyone was chattering over the provocative photos and revealing interview GQ magazine ran of former presidential nominee John Edwards' mistress, Rielle Hunter.

Then yesterday, after much speculation, In Touch Weekly magazine hit stands with the headline "The Ultimate Betrayal," referring to the breaking news that actress Sandra Bullock's husband, Jesse James, had an affair with Michelle McGee, a tattoo model. Additionally, the celebrity magazine issued a press release touting its exclusive coverage of the "steamy affair," i.e. an interview with the tattoo model.

Today, People magazine followed-up the still-being-talked-about GQ interview with its cover out today featuring John Edwards' soon-to-be ex-wife Elizabeth Edwards with the headline, "How Much More Can She Take: John's Mistress Attacks Elizabeth" and references--on the cover--Rielle Hunter's "explosive GQ interview."

Meanwhile, also today, People magazine reported that Jesse James had "broken his silence" and released an apology to Sandra Bullock in a statement to the celebrity magazine.

As much as we like our celebrity magazines--and we do--the coverage is leaving us feeling queasy. What do you think? Did the magazines go to far with dramatizing these celebrity marital problems?

Deen Brothers Launch New Cooking Magazine for Men

With bestselling cookbooks and a Food Network show of their own, Jamie and Bobby Deen, have been following in the footsteps of their famous mom for awhile. And like their celebrity-chef mom, they are hoping to follow up their successful cookbooks and TV show with a cooking magazine.

This month the Deen Brothers launched Deen Bros Good Cooking magazine, a new quarterly special-interest magazine from Hoffman Media, publisher of Cooking with Paula Deen, Victoria magazine, Southern Lady magazine and other niche magazines.

Deen Brothers Good Cooking magazine is aimed at men with its grilling recipes, cooking tips and easy-to-read format. The magazine also features "everything from cocktails to cookies" including breakfast and dessert recipes. Hoffman Media plans to publish six issues per year by 2011.

Bobby and Jamie Deen have appeared on multiple episodes of their mother's Food Network series and specials. They launched their own Food Network show, Road Tasted, in 2006. The brothers also run their mother's well-known Savannah eatery, The Lady & Sons.

Sign of the Times: Fortune Magazine Redesigns

With its April issue out next week, Fortune magazine will keep its name but will reveal editorial and design changes that better reflect the current economic time of well, less fortune.

New sections like "Career and Venture" will offer advice for these uncertain economic times. "Leisure Pursuits" will take the place of "Life at the Top," a lifestyle section that was launched when luxury spending was commonplace. Also, according to Mediaweek, the magazine will feature fewer CEOs on its cover; strangely, it will at the same time aim for a more high-end feel, with a switch to heavier paper. Fortune magazine's changes come as the business magazine lowers its frequency from 25 issues to 18 issues.

It's no secret that the business magazine category has been one of the hardest hit categories in the struggling magazine industry so it will be interesting to see if these changes make any difference.

What do you think? Is Fortune magazine on the right track with its changes?
 

Columbia Journalism Review Releases Research on Magazines and Their Websites

Yesterday, the Columbia Journalism Review magazine released the results of a recent survey and report on magazines' websites. The purpose of the research, which surveyed 665 consumer magazines on the practices and profitability of their websites, was "to identify some best (and worst) practices; clarify journalistic standards for new media; and guide journalists and media companies towards a business model that allow revenues not only to be allocated more efficiently, but also channeled back into the kind of news-gathering operations that are essential for democracy."

The conclusion of the research project, Victor Navasky, chairman of Columbia Journalism Review magazine, stated in a recent New York Times article, "There’s chaos out there.”

Among the topics in the project is one of the hottest topics in the magazine industry: content. We weren't surprised to read among the results that CJR found more than half the magazines put their entire print editions online for free. A small four percent of magazines put all or almost all print content behind a pay wall and 10 percent put some of it behind a pay wall. Still, the rest post only some of their print output online, but all of it free.

However, we were surprised to read that fact-checking and copy-editing practices were less strict at a lot of the magazines. Navasky concluded in The New York Times, that speed of posting the content--to get traffic--is a higher priority than copy-editing.

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?

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.