MM 140: Mass Media and Society
Chapter 9 – Magazines
Participation Points
For this activity, you are asked to create a proposal for a new magazine, based on the scenario below. Please read the situation, review the terms from the chapter, browse the links provided to get an idea of typical magazine designs and topics, and create your own proposal for a magazine that both fits the need outlined AND includes all of the information posted at the end.
Situation
You have been hired by Kansas/Missouri Media Connections, which recently was purchased by the Gannett Company, in an effort to increase the conglomerate’s print media influence in the Midwest. For now, company officials are primarily interested in entering the Midwest publications market, but in the long run, they are, of course, interested in national profit.
You have been placed in charge of creating a specialized magazine that you think can gain immediate impact in the area and eventually be profitable. The magazine initially will be distributed in the states of Kansas and Missouri, but it can be expanded if it is successful. You have been given leeway to develop your own reader demographics and target advertising list. Specific details about the activity are listed at the end of this page.
To gain some insight into making your magazine profitable, you will need to do some research on the history of magazine publishing in the United States:
TERMS AND CONCEPTS — You will want to look through the textbook chapter and become familiar with these concepts so that you can make better plans to create your proposal. Examples are in parentheses.
· Muckraking
· The rise and fall of general-interest magazines
· Personality profile (People magazine, for example)
· Q & A format (Time Magazine)
· Lists and tips (Women’s Health)
· Photojournalism in magazines (Life Magazine was an old-school example, and National Geographic is a surviving example)
· Trade journals (Progressive Grocer would be an example of a magazine targeted toward a specific job/occupation)
· Sponsored magazines (AARP The Magazine)
· Magazines targeting specific demographics, such as age groups (Ranger Rick magazine)
· Web magazines (Salon is a good example – though occasionally the advertising can confuse visitors about how to enter the actual magazine site)
· Magazine advertising, sales and types of editions
ONLINE EXAMPLES — A few magazine examples and suggestions if you need them for ideas:
· www.newsweek.com
o Tradition-filled magazine for news and features — the print version ended in 2013 but it is still available online.
· www.macworld.com
o A good example of a highly specialized publication
· www.southernliving.com
o An example of a lifestyle-focused magazine
· www.mojones.com
o Independent political views from Mother Jones magazine (leans left)
· https://www.webwire.com/IndustryList.asp
o You may want to peruse this list of trade journals
YOUR TASK:
Prepare a proposal for your magazine based on the information listed below. Your magazine, however, must meet the need of the scenario above.
This activity can be listed in a title/bulleted format, rather than a narrative (story/paragraph) format. Your answers do not need to be long, but they must be complete and show that you have done some outside research to support your choice. Please cite the sources that support your decisions (a URL of the link works fine for this activity)
Your answers should be based on the industry trends so you may need to complete some research to adequately answer them.
Include the following:
1. Title
o Should be catchy, yet connect to the intended audience.
2. Frequency of publication
o Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly? Explain why.
3. Cost per issue to readers
o This should match what other like-type magazines would cost.
4. Type of magazine
o Consumer, trade, literary/commentary, women’s, men’s? Look at the PowerPoint slides for differences.
5. Detailed information about your target demographic
o Include age, gender, income, personal interests, hobbies, etc. of your typical reader.
6. Tentative contents for your first issue
o Include a short list of topics for the first issue -- at least 3-4 topics.
7. List or description of your target advertisers if you plan to sell ads
o Magazines don’t exist without ads – who will you market to keep your magazine afloat?
8. Promotion and distribution strategy
o How will you get your magazine into the hands of your intended audience?
9. Evidence of your understanding of how language and images can shape the thinking and behavior of your potential audience
o This should draw from your reading and explain how your magazine will meet the needs.