June 29, 2007

The Future of Magazines

Innovations in Newspapers highlights quotes of interest from American magazine editors regarding the future of the medium. Some key excerpts:

While I do think online content could overtake newspapers, I believe that print magazines - because they are less ephemeral and more enduring, because they are more beautiful, because they offer perspective and amplify what people get elsewhere - will not be overtaken in the same way as newspapers,”
-Richard Stengel, Managing Editor, Time Magazine

“Print will continue to be the primary engine of the magazine business, as long as we continue to offer great stories, great photography and great editorial packages.”
-Bill Falk, Editor-in-Chief, The Week Magazine

Though there is much discussion about the demise of the print medium, we believe that a considered approach to magazines will ensure they remain viable for years to come. Here are a few reasons:

1. Not many people seem interested in reading long-form journalism (The New Yorker, NYT Magazine, etc) in front of their screens.

2. Magazines are easily portable for a plane ride, or the commute home. Also, they can be a good weekend digest of the week’s events when you are away from the computer/PDA. Though digital books and interfaces for the consumption of media are emerging, none seem poised to make a significant impact.

3. The medium allows for deeper analysis and context of daily news.

4. The sensory experience that print affords — the feel of different paper stocks, glossy photos, beautiful layout, design — simply cannot be replicated digitally.

Rex Hammock says it best: