Chapter 5: Magazines

Study

Early magazines looked and felt like the newspapers of the time, and in most cases, they printed the same stories. However, the industry was beginning to grow into a serious, national medium. Evidence of the growing importance of magazines can be found in Andrew Bradford's and Benjamin Franklin's struggle over editor Andrew Webbe. Combining literature and stories about everyday American life, the Saturday Evening Post accomplished something that newspapers could not: the ability to appeal to a national audience.

The incorporation of photography as an essential feature of magazines began during the American Civil War, with the war photography of Matthew Brady, who is considered the father of photojournalism. Brady and his team covered all aspects of the war from start to finish. The imagery they captured brought the war into homes and proved that photography was a reliable means to document and preserve history. Shortly after the war, the Postal Act of 1879 opened the door for easier national distribution of magazines by lowering the applicable postal rate.

Through history, magazines have provided a forum to promote serious social causes and showcase talented individuals. The Crisis was one of the first magazines to print black authors, strongly oppose segregation, and promote black education. At the turn of the twentieth century, McClure's ushered in the muckraker era, where serious news stories were sensationalized to maximize profit. Ida Tarbell's series of stories on Standard Oil contained plenty of bribery, fraud, and violence to grab readers' attention. Later in the century, Life featured the extraordinary industrial photography of acclaimed photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White.

As the magazine industry continues to grow, and more titles are published, to remain competitive, magazines are targeting narrow, specific audiences. Trade magazines are specialized for professionals, service magazines provide insight on how to do things better around the home, and fashion and beauty magazines promote the latest and hottest fashions and provide sex and health advice. Maxim, with their snipit stories and features on gadgets, not to mention pictures of beautiful models, revitalized men's magazines in the 1990s.

The portrayal of size zero models in fashion and beauty magazines has been targeted as a possible cause of female readers' body dissatisfaction, and even eating disorders. Magazines also have a poor track record of representing people of color on their covers. Some of the most recognizable titles such as Cosmopolitan and Sports Illustrated have featured noticeably few minority models on their covers. Censorship and banning have come into play when content such as sex and health columns have been found as inappropriate for younger readers.

Successful magazines will continue to increase their readership by adapting to social forces and maintaining strong relationships with both their readers and advertisers. Other sectors of the media world are turning to magazines as a supplement to their regular format. ESPN and ESPN Magazine are a perfect example of this trend. The online format will continue to expand, as more online magazines follow the pioneers Salon and Slate.

Learning Objectives

•  Know the significance of the Postal Act of 1879.

•  Know how the Saturday Evening Post was able to attract a national audience.

•  Understand the significant contributions of Matthew Brady and Margaret Bourke-White to photojournalism.

•  Know the various types of consumer magazines and the audiences they target.

•  Understand the traits that make modern magazines successful.

•  Explain the arguments that magazines are contributing to female body dissatisfaction and health and eating disorders.

•  Know how magazines promote sales through their covers

Review Questions

1. Who was Henry Luce and what magazines did he establish?


2. Who founded the Crisis, and what issues did it cover and promote early on?

3. What advantages do online book retailers have when compared to traditional bookstores?

4. Who were the key players in the muckraker movement and what were the characteristics of their stories?


5. How have men's magazines changed over the years?

6. What are the key factors necessary for magazines to succeed?