The Fourth Estate in America: I Write, Therefore I Am...

The first of these appeared more than half a century after the first newspapers, in 1893, but took much longer to gain readers. Initially directed at the mass audience, they were, however, quite different from the popular tabloids of the time. Their primary ambition was to provide reliable and objective information on the background of politics, economy, and culture.

The late 19th century witnessed the birth of a new phenomenon in American media—the opinion press. That’s when magazines that still hold social trust were founded: Atlantic Monthly, The Nation, and Harper`s. Yet, magazines appealing to Americans’ favorite values of entertainment and spending won the most readers.

The publishers of such hits as

• Cosmopolitan,
• Ladies Home Journal,
• and Saturday Evening Post

understood that their job was not to sell content to readers but to sell readers to advertisers. They had reason to believe readers were a valuable commodity in the advertising market: while newspapers reached only local communities, magazines were distributed nationwide.

This difference made magazines the main marketing tool in the U.S. during the early 20th century. Around the same time, a new trend emerged in press journalism—reporters (known as "muckrakers") focused public attention on government and economy, revealing their corrupt aspects. This allowed magazines to claim a new position in the media market, as they began addressing power not only from a journalistic standpoint.

In 1923, perhaps the most influential weekly, Time, was founded by Henry Luce. Aimed at busy citizens who didn’t have time for daily newspapers, it was the first magazine with specific sections on national affairs, business, and science. Ten years after Time`s success, Newsweek entered the market, formatted similarly and targeting the same audience. Other notable weeklies of that time included Business Week and U.S. News and World Report. The rise of television cut into magazines` advertising revenue, leading to the closure of some, like The Saturday Evening Post (closed in 1969), Look (1971), and Life (1972). Both The Saturday Evening Post and Life later resurfaced as monthly publications, but never regained their former prominence.


To avoid a similar fate, other magazines changed their approach over time, seeking specialized audiences. Today we have monthly publications like Tennis for tennis fans, Trailer Life for RV travelers, and Model Railroading for model train enthusiasts. And many more, including regional editions of popular magazines targeting residents of specific states or cities. TV Guide, Time, and Newsweek all offer regional versions. As a result, the U.S. now boasts 13,878 specialized periodicals (compared to 6,960 in the 1970s), covering every imaginable topic.

Ninety of these magazines have circulations exceeding one million copies. The two top-ranked are aimed at retirees: NRTS/AARP Bulletin (21,465,126 circulation) and Modern Maturity (18,363,840). Among the most popular magazines are also Reader`s Digest (12,558,435), TV Guide (9,259,455), and National Geographic (7,738,611).

Like newspapers, magazines have digital editions. Time was the first to launch an online version in 1993. In 1996, Bill Gates, a giant in the American tech industry, went a step further by founding the first online-only magazine, available to subscribers for a fee. The experimental cultural and political weekly, Slate, quickly gained popularity, prompting the publisher to eventually offer a print version for a broader audience.

In the early 1970s, a new press format emerged—newsletters. Printed on lower-quality paper and with brief content (4-6 pages), they focused on highly specialized topics. Usually published weekly or biweekly (a format now in decline), they were produced by small teams or even single individuals on a limited budget. Examples of newsletters include the Southern Political Report, covering election campaigns in the southern U.S., and FTC Watch, reporting on the Federal Trade Commission. Newsletters were soon joined by popular "zines," highly personalized magazines circulating within closed groups, often containing controversial or shocking content. Take Afraid, a monthly magazine for horror fans, as an example.

With "zines" in mind, I’d like to delve into journalistic ethics and internal censorship present in American (and other) newsrooms. However, I’d need to revisit the topics of free speech and the First Amendment, which I believe are too fundamental to American media to treat merely as a conclusion to a magazine story. I’ll return to these issues often, but for now, allow me to conclude with an invitation to the next installment of "The Fourth Estate in America," where we’ll explore the history and current state of radio—the "elder sister of television." Join me!

Read all articles in the series The Fourth Estate in America.