History of Magazines 1/26/15 10:03 PM What’s a Magazine? • Specialized • Layout • Made to last • More in depth • Analytical, opinionated • Word comes from Arabic “makhasin” meaning “storehouse” • First in London in 1704 “The Review” • Less frequent than a paper • Different format, better quality, bound, cover • Historically appeal to larger audiences • No daily deadlines, able to probe • Focused on entertainment • Lasting content/are kept longer History of Magazines: • Earliest Magazines • Shaped today’s magazines • Provided political commentary • Designed to make a profit • High quality literature • High literate and affluent audience • Magazines reached America in the mid 1700’s Four Barriers • Nature and dispersion of the population • Economics of publishing • State of transportation and postal system Economics • All work done by publisher • No national market Transportation Limitations • Trips from NY to Boston took 8 to ten days back then • Imagine carrying loads of magazines while making that trips• Made it silly to try and do this Subscription • 315 dollars for a year’s subscription • Would remain a medium for the elite only Magazines in the 1800’s • Population growth • Urbanization • Transportation growth • People are better educations • Important issues arose – Civil war Population Growth • Increased rapidly • Due to immigration and acquired lands Urbanization • Less of a need to live on farms • City dwelling becomes popular • More cash • More education Pros of Transportation • Networks became stronger • Erie canal is built • Steamboats and railroads emerge • Made it able to move items in bulk, making items easier and cheaper to get to a wider population Education • More people can read the material • Education implies a higher income, meaning people have money to buy these products now • Massachusetts adopts mandatory education • This procedure quickly spreadIssues during the 1800’s • Civil War • Debates over slavery • Intellectual Debates • helped politics grow and provided more topics for people to read/write/talk about • informed people of the political issues and values of candidates • Over topics such as evolution • Women’s Issues • Equality Magazine Characteristics of the 1800’s • Circulation and readership grows dramatically due to: • Education • Price decrease • Ability to ship easier • Magazines become specialized • Every interest had a magazine • Everyone could find something they were interested 20th Century • Social Responsibility • Investigative reporting (muckraking) – investigative journalism conducted with the goal of bringing about social reform • Weren’t published as often, so the reporters had more time to go in depth on the stories being written • Muckraker – exposes negative stories to help the public • Ida Tarbel (example) • Exposed the negatives and corruption of Standard Oil in McClure’s • Experiences competition • Television arrives • Advertising dollars are lost to television • TV kills off a few magazines • Shows a sign of things to come in the futureWhat is a Magazine Today? • Lines get blurry • Electronic newspapers and magazines • Newspapers with magazine format to try to attract more of an audience • Television magazine shows – ex 60 min – not a clear
View Full Document
Unlocking...