magazine journalism
Magazine journalism refers to the practice of producing journalistic content for magazines, typically emphasizing longer-form storytelling, interpretation, and specialized audiences. Modern magazine journalism generally combines factual reporting with narrative storytelling techniques, including scene-setting, descriptive detail, and literary-style writing. Magazine articles tend to adopt a particular angle (i.e., a specific subject or point of view), which may be controversial, edgy, sensational, or personal. Depending on the publication and genre, magazine journalists may adopt an informal tone, first-person narration, or conversational language. Such a style of writing is believed to make magazines more accessible to consumers. This entry reviews the history of magazines and the rise of the magazine industry, primarily in the United States. It then briefly discusses some of the various types of magazines.
History
Magazine journalism developed during the 18th century alongside pamphlets and early periodicals in Britain and the American colonies. By 1776, there were about 100 such publications operating in the colonies. These publications attempted to appeal to a national leadership, and as a result, they had a significant impact on the development of political and social life.
In 1704, Daniel Defoe, who was serving a prison sentence in Newgate Prison for writing and circulating a religious tract, The Shortest Way With Dissenters, started the Review. This periodical, which basically looked like a newspaper, published news and political commentary for elites three times a week; it survived until 1712. In 1709, Richard Steele and Joseph Addison edited the Tatler, a publication that included articles covering politics, international and theatrical news, and gossip; it also had adverts. However, these publications predated the widespread use of the term magazine for periodicals. The term magazine became associated with periodicals after Edward Cave launched The Gentleman’s Magazine in 1731.
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These magazines were followed by several colonial magazines including The American Magazine or a Monthly Review of the Political State of the British Colonies and Benjamin Franklin’s General Magazine, both of which began publication in 1741. These magazines were aimed at a small number of literate people; however, they were expensive to produce. With limited advertising revenue and relatively small circulations, many colonial magazines survived only briefly. As a result, at the turn of the 19th century, there were very few magazines. However, after the American Civil War, there was a dramatic increase in the number of magazines. The number of American magazines expanded rapidly after the Civil War as printing technology, literacy, and national distribution networks improved.
During this period emerged the popular weekly magazine The Saturday Evening Post, which traces its origins to 1821 and later became one of the most widely circulated magazines in the United States. The Nation began publication in 1865 and became one of the longest continuously published magazines in the United States.
The increase in the number of magazines can be attributed to a number of factors. Among these factors were lower printing costs, which led to lower prices, and an increase in public education, which led to growing literacy rates. The rise of social movements such as abolitionism, labor reform, suffrage, and other reform movements also contributed to the increasing number of magazines. Another crucial factor in the rise of magazine journalism was the passage of favorable postal laws, such as the Postal Act of 1879, which allowed magazines to be mailed at a lower rate, which in turn made it possible for magazine publishers to lower the cover price of magazines. In addition, industrialization created an increase in leisure time for the new middle class, providing time and a desire to read.
The Industry of Magazines and Advertising
With the aforementioned developments, magazines and magazine journalism became a new industry. This new industry was financed chiefly by advertising. As with newspapers, advertising changed magazine publishing. Magazines, which had previously been chiefly supported by subscribers, were now also supported by advertising. This development helped to reduce the cover price of magazines, which enabled more people to purchase the magazines.
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Because magazine publishers could sell access to audiences to advertisers, by the late 1800s, advertising revenues soared. Consequently, magazines became an instrument of emerging American nationalism, as readers no longer maintained only local or regional identities. In many commercial magazines, advertising has historically represented a substantial portion of total page space and revenue, although ratios vary significantly by publication and platform.
Types
Muckraking
The term muckraking, popularized during the Progressive Era (1890s–1920s), refers to an early form of investigative reporting that focused on exposing corruption, social injustice, and abuses of power. The rise of this type of magazine journalism coincided with space limitation in newspapers, as reform-minded journalists sought out magazines in which they could publish in-depth articles about broad social and political issues. Famous American muckrakers include Ida Tarbell who wrote about Standard Oil’s monopoly; Lincoln Steffens who wrote about corruption in city halls; and Upton Sinclair who exposed deplorable conditions in the meatpacking industry.
General Interest Magazines
General interest magazines, such as The Saturday Evening Post, brought about interpretive journalism using reporting teams. General interest magazines were highly successful; however, with the popularization of television in the mid-1950s, much advertising shifted to television. With a reduction in advertising revenue, coupled with the rising cost of printing, general interest magazines had to rely heavily on subscriptions to cover their print and mailing costs. Consequently, many of these types of magazines shut down.
Special Interest Magazines
As general interest magazines waned, special interest magazine titles were born. Magazines based on specific interests appealed to advertisers who wanted to reach specific target audiences, for example, audiences defined by gender, age, race, class, social or cultural interests, or geographical regions.
Playboy, Soap Opera Digest, Sports Illustrated, and Rolling Stone are examples of leisure, sports, and music special interest magazines. Also published were travel and geography titles such as Smithsonian, Travel + Leisure, and National Geographic. Other titles were age-specific; examples include Highlights for Children and Teen People. The New Yorker, The New Republic, and Ebony are examples of magazines for distinct cultural, political, or demographic readerships.
Specialized business publications, aimed at a particular occupation, industry, or profession, also emerged. These publications generally serve specialized professional audiences and rely more heavily on subscriptions, memberships, or industry advertising than consumer magazines do.
The original version of this article was published by SAGE Publications in The SAGE Encyclopedia of Mass Media.