Magazine

A magazine, also called a periodical, is a publication that contains articles accompanied by illustrations or photographs. Magazines are geared toward a specific audience and contain articles focused on a particular genre, such as women's fashion, food, celebrity gossip, health, international news, pets, and more. People pay a fee to subscribe to physical magazines and have it delivered to their homes on a regular interval, such as a weekly or monthly basis. People can also purchase single copies at a newsstand or store. In addition to charging a fee to read magazines, advertisements present in magazines help to pay for the content in them. While print magazines were popular throughout the twentieth century, the Internet gave people access to a wide variety of online magazines in the twenty-first century. Because of this, many print magazines created online versions that could be read on computers, smartphones, tablets, and e-readers (electronic readers).

History

The advent of the printing press in the 1400s helped spur the creation of numerous books, pamphlets, and other printed materials. The first periodical, Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen (Edifying Monthly Discussions), was published in 1663 in Germany. It contained book summaries, scholarly articles, and later spawned several similar journals in other parts of Europe. The first magazine for entertainment purposes came in 1672. Le Mercure Galant, later renamed Mercure de France, was a French magazine that contained gossip, news, songs, and more.

In the early eighteenth century, three British magazines debuted and became the template for the modern magazine. The Review, the Tatler, and the Spectator, which published a few times per week, contained opinion pieces about national and international events and articles on an array of topics designed to encourage discussion among readers.

Throughout the rest of the century in Europe, many people had become literate and pursued education, especially women. These empowered women thirsted for knowledge, and several magazines, such as the Lady's Magazine, were created to appeal to them. These periodicals included short stories, fashion tips, and embroidery patterns. The British Gentleman's Magazine arrived in 1731; it was the first publication to use the word magazine, which came from the Arabic word makhazin, meaning "storehouse." The magazine's founder, Edward Cave, included articles that the average person would be interested in.

Meanwhile in America, two Philadelphia printers developed two separate magazines around the same time in 1741. American Magazine from Andrew Bradford debuted first, and Benjamin Franklin's General Magazine came a short time later. Neither was successful. Magazines became more popular by the end of the eighteenth century, with more than one hundred in existence in the newly formed United States.

The first illustrated magazine, Illustrated London News, was published in 1842 in England. The magazine, which was published weekly, included articles about news and art and contained woodcut illustrations. Many periodicals copied this design, adding artwork to their stories.

One of the major problems with early magazines was acquiring readership. Periodicals were expensive, and their articles usually were aimed at wealthy and educated individuals. To combat this, publishers began to create amusement and entertainment magazines that appealed to everyone. This led to specialized magazines that contained content geared toward particular groups, such as musicians, artists, lawyers, or scientists. One such periodical was the American Journal of Science, which debuted in 1818 and featured news about geology and natural sciences. Scientific American was established in 1845 and provided readers with information about patents and inventions to encourage inventors. The magazine eventually included articles on other topics, such as parenting and travel, to try to expand its readership.

Magazines geared toward women became popular in the 1830s with the debut of Godey's Lady's Book. This led to numerous specialized women's magazines that contained not only literary works but also fashion tips, homemaking advice, and recipes. The Ladies' Home Journal, which debuted in 1883, had more than one million subscribers by the end of the 1800s.

Literary review magazines, which contained short stories and essays, also became popular with readers during this time. One of these, TheAtlantic, was first published in 1857 in Boston and covered topics such as current affairs, politics, science, culture, technology, and more. The magazine featured articles from famed writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and Oliver Wendell Holmes. The Bookman was a monthly magazine published in London from 1891 until 1934 by Hodder & Stoughton. It printed lists of popular books, which eventually led to the idea for best-seller lists.

Magazines remained popular into the twentieth century. Reader's Digest—which had broad appeal and contained articles about American culture, recipes, and health tips—debuted in 1922. The next year, Time magazine, a weekly publication that featured national and world events, was founded. Many entertainment and gossip magazines became popular in the twentieth century, including People, Rolling Stone, and Vanity Fair. These featured news and gossip about celebrities as well as articles on popular culture. While women's magazines had been popular since the early seventeenth century, the first men's magazine in America, Esquire, debuted in 1933. Numerous other specialized magazines, including the sports-centric Sports Illustrated, followed.

Sports Illustrated (SI) is a magazine that covers sports, featuring news, photography, and stories. First published in August 1954 by Stuart Scheftel, it became the first magazine to win the National Magazine Award for General Excellence twice. Originally a weekly publication, SI transitioned to biweekly in 2018 and monthly in 2020.

Topic Today

Tens of thousands of magazines continued to be published worldwide throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Seemingly endless magazines existed for every interest and audience. However, readership numbers for print magazines began to drop when technology allowed people to obtain news and other information online. In an attempt to attract more readers, many print magazines began to release online versions.

The advent of electronic readers, smartphones, and tablets continued to take its toll on print magazines. Instead of carrying around print magazines, people could download and read magazines on their electronic devices. Some print magazines went out of business, while others embraced online versions of their products. Some even opted to abandon their print versions to publish only digital versions.

Digital magazines gave publishers several advantages. They could use video and audio files in addition to images; they could provide links for readers to find related information about a topic; they could allow readers to interact by posting and replying to comments on certain stories; and they could allow people to post articles to social media accounts. Magazine publishers also could tailor online ads to target specific audiences. Some people, particularly older adults, still preferred physical, glossy magazines to their digital counterparts. This group has commonly stated that they feel a sense of accomplishment and finality after reading a magazine from cover to cover, which does not exist when reading a publication online. A 2020 study conducted in the United States found that most adults prefer reading print magazines over digital ones, with 66 percent of respondents choosing printed publications. The study also showed that more than 45 percent of US adults spend over fifteen minutes per day reading magazines in either format.

While digital platforms offer convenience, accessibility, and interactivity, print magazines maintain a loyal following in the twenty-first century due to their tactile experience, deeper engagement, and sense of permanence. Some readers find print more immersive and valuable, while others appreciate the convenience and global reach of digital formats. Research supports that print magazines can improve retention and readers' feelings of trustworthiness, while digital magazines offer the benefits of instant access, reduced costs, and feelings of interactivity. Research suggests that rather than viewing print and digital versions as competing formats, publishers should adopt a hybrid approach, combining the strengths of both print and digital to reach a broader audience and ensure long-term success of their company.

Bibliography

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Mod, Craig. "How Magazines Will Be Changed Forever." CNN, 21 Oct. 2012, www.cnn.com/2012/10/21/opinion/mod-digital-magazines. Accessed 3 Feb. 2025.

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