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.
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New articles in section History of the media
FORTUNE. The story of the most exclusive business magazine
Małgorzata Dwornik
Half of the pages in the pilot issue were left blank. Only one printing house in the country could meet the magazine’s quality standards. They coined the terms "business sociology" and "hedge fund". They created the world’s most prestigious company ranking. This is the story of Fortune.
History of Le Soir. A Belgian daily once free for ground floor readers
Małgorzata Dwornik
It started with an unusual sales policy and articles written personally by the king. This is where the comic hero Tintin made his name. The "fake edition" from the II World War went down in history. "Le Soir" more than once found itself targeted by authorities, censors, and even... terrorists and hackers.
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Reporterzy.info
History of media and journalism. The biggest titles, famous journalists, groundbreaking events in the press, radio, television and internet industries in the world. Stories developed and told by Małgorzata and Bartłomiej Dwornik from the online weekly Reporterzy.info.
See articles on a similar topic:
La Stampa. The history of the oldest newspaper in Italy
Małgorzata Dwornik
It was founded in Turin as Gazzetta Piemontese. Over more than 150 years, it built its position as an iconic title not only in the Italian press market. It survived attacks from fascists, terrorists, and even Muammar Gaddafi. Even in the era of the internet, it continues to perform exceptionally well.
The Fourth Estate in America: Sex and Violence
Urszula Sienkiewicz
The media in the United States include many "business sharks" who prioritize their own interests and corporate profits over the public good. The average American spends 8 hours a day on mass media - 4 hours on television, 3 on radio, half an hour on recreational music, and the remaining minutes on reading.
Control is Better
Ignacio Ramonet
The noblest duty of media professionals is to expose cases of law violations. For fulfilling this duty, they have often had to pay a high price. However, for a long time, citizens - at least in democratic societies - could rely on the press and other media in their fight against abuses of power.
Kevin Carter. The story of a Bang-Bang Club photojournalist
Małgorzata Dwornik
His photo from Sudan, "The Vulture and the Little Girl", became an iconic image. Earlier, risking the death penalty, he and his friends documented apartheid crimes in his native South Africa. Kevin Carter, a Pulitzer Prize winner and the creator of thousands of powerful images, struggled with the weight of what he witnessed through his camera.