The Magazine Industry-a guide for working journalists

David Kelly

A. Introduction: The Magazine Industry-a guide for working journalists will address some of the key challenges and opportunities that the industry faces in the present and near future. The report will tackle five issues which are of huge relevance to the industry: 1. Challenges faced by private publishers starting out will introduce how publications can secure capital, advertising and distinguish themselves from competition, 2. The usefulness of the “three P’s” in the business model will look at product, price and place and how these factors may impact upon content, circulation and costs, 3. Issues surrounding the provision of online content will look at publishing content online, dual publishing and creating a charging model for providing extra content online, 4. The role of market research in the work of a magazine journalist will introduce the field of magazine market research and how this has implications for the working journalist and 5. Issues regarding production: newspapers v magazines will contrast the production phases involved in writing and producing feature articles.

An array of analogies and references will be used, where possible, to identify and analyse areas where certain publications succeeded and others failed. This will allow the reader to gain an insight into the industry. Start-up or even established magazines may also learn from the plights of their competitors, magazine commentators and personnel.

B. 1. Challenges faced by private publishers starting out: The magazine industry is not immune to challenges. Start-up magazines face many challenges, including securing capital, getting businesses to advertise with their publication and finding ways to distinguish themselves from market competition. In starting up a magazine the issue of income has to be addressed. How much money is required for production costs, staffing costs, etc? Is there sufficient demand for the magazine in the first place? Morrish (2008) suggests that magazine survival follows three distinct categories: those who depend primarily on money from their readers, those who depend on money from advertisers or those who depend on money from an outside party. His advice is to adopt a universal approach where potential investors are lured in to the magazine by way of interest and potential reward. However, he notes that “Publishers must expect to make a loss during the whole period in which circulation is being built”.

This has implications for the magazine: (A) They should seek investment which is greater than the initial start-up costs, because they may need additional investment to sustain the production of the publication in periods of reduced sales or increasing costs-e.g. circulation, printing and (B) They should not over estimate circulation figures. Thus, according to Morrish (2008), what is needed is a magazine that can test the market in its initial start-up phase.

Advertising is a lucrative challenge faced by start-up magazines. How can a start-up magazine be expected to compete with the top dogs or the more established magazines, who, over time have built up a relationship with advertisers they wish to acquire? Pearson (1999) argues that magazines should create an ‘ideal mix’-whereby they write about a product in a way that entices subscribers to buy the product through the publications advertising. This not only creates effective advertising, but also helps the start-up magazine to create and maintain a unique advertiser demographic.

This point was echoed by Garda Review Editor Neil Ward: “Our advertisements have to be national to target our specific demographic. They must be relevant to the lives of gardai across the country. We have a set number of advertising pages which increases advertisers’ value for money. If advertisements come in which have no relevance to our readers, it is a waste of resources and advertising value. It has to be a feasible and mutual relationship”.

Examples of regular Garda Review advertisers.

Magazines also face challenges from competition. The same question reverberates from advertising to competition: How can your magazine cope with more established magazines targeting the same audience. Being cheaper may not always be enough. Pearson (1999) suggests four reasons to help magazines cope with competition: 1. Have a unique subscriber demographic, 2. Have a unique advertiser demographic, 3. Have a magazine that is attractive and unique and 4. Try and find a niche for this publication. He also suggests that the one overriding principle which helps magazines to cope with competition is to spot what they are and aren’t doing. For example, LFC Weekly, a Liverpool supporter’s magazine publishes free posters and gifts. A rival magazine would need to rival or match this, perhaps by way of a sticker album for younger fans or a poster/photograph pullout with every issue.

Are there elements that could be incorporated from both publications in the form of a new magazine?

However, a magazine that goes all out in year one is likely to go bust if the market demands fail to see the potential niche for their product. Instead, magazines should “start small with a less stick, more information packed version of your magazine. Then as time goes on, add the more expensive touches. The nice thing about periodical publishing is it evolves” (Pearson 1999).

2. The usefulness of the “three P’s” in the business model: The 3 P’s (product, price and position) should be analysed before starting up any magazine. They provide challenges in their own right and in relation to cost, content and circulation. The product mix includes the design of the publication and journalistic content. The use of colours, images, etc can be used to make the publication appeal to its readers. Take LFC Christmas Posters for example. It appeals to its readers because it offers content they can’t get anywhere else. It has exclusive interviews and access to players, coaching staff, etc. It also uses marketing tools to its advantage. There are free gifts, posters, bookmarks, door hangers, etc. to entice the reader to buy the magazine. This is also effective in selling the magazine to passive readers or those who would never buy the magazine for its content, but are hooked on seeing freebies, which Davis (1994, p.12) says is “the fastest growing sector of publishing”. From a reader’s point of view, the magazine has design credentials which help distinguish it from the rest. It makes use of Liverpool colours: red and yellow (from the kit) and showcases the Liverpool FC crest. It also builds a rapport with the reader based on the brand of LFC. The word “official” creates a status among the readers who feel they are part of a celebrity culture. They all share the same passion and are all part of the LFC Christmas Posters community.

Behind this description is reasoning. Davis (1994, p.11) suggests that children’s publications should make use of picture stories, comic like strips and effective colours. The reason why he suggests this is because it proves more effective when selling to a younger demographic. If the same style and design was used to target readers of the Irish Marketing Journal then a decrease in subscribers would be expected. Different designs and different styles suit different demographics.

Price also offers its own unique challenge. What is our profit/loss margin and can we sustain it? Who are we targeting and what income bracket do they belong to? These are all questions that need to be addressed during market research. “Good market research enables a company to know if it has been able to satisfy customer needs and whether any changes need to be made in the packaging, delivery or the product itself. This enables a company to formulate a viable marketing plan or measure the success of its existing plan” (Morebusiness.com 2009). The cost of labour and staff adds another strain on the publication as nobody wants to be paying staff when they are already at a loss. Hence, the benefits of working part time and in-house or taking content from outside sources without payment should not be overlooked when the magazine is getting off the ground. The Limerick Event Guide (LEG) and the Hogan Stand GAA magazine are two paramount examples, where they accept some journalistic content on a no fee basis and where they try to keep publishing in-house- the Hogan Stand magazine is produced by Lynn Publications in County Meath and the LEG is produced by Eightball Promotions and Media in Limerick.

Position: The position element of the three P’s is the target audience. This is the specialist demographic-trade, lifestyle and/or news in which the product is placed. For example, the Garda Review is a professional trade magazine for gardai. The magazine may however incorporate elements of all three, which is certainly the case for the analogy used. The Garda Review contains news stories, for e.g. the introduction of pepper spray, sports stories from the Garda College or events ran by garda barracks and stories relevant to gardai, e.g. how to deal with stress, pay cuts, pension levies, etc. Position also refers to the outlay in which the magazine sells. Magazines need to know where to distribute their product. Selling two narrowly, e.g. shops and pubs and two broadly, e.g. shops, supermarkets, cinema, colleges, present their own problems, most notably rising distribution costs for the latter. Davis (1994, p.12) says “sales in supermarkets have been increasing at the expense of traditional newsagent-tobacconist shops because of changes in shopping habits and a decline in smoking”. However, he also notes that supermarkets tend to stock best-sellers and if a publication can’t hack it, then it won’t be on the shelf for long.

3. Issues surrounding the provision of online content: The magazine industry faces a very uncertain future. With many commentators proclaiming the death of print journalism, coupled with the rise in new media, today’s magazine journalist has to tap into every media environment (Allen 2009). Skills like indesign, adobe audition, blogging, etc are needed more now than ever before. The New York Times cut 100 newsroom positions last year. With the media environment transforming and evolving, the provision of online content is no longer a myth. It is a reality.

Magazines may publish online content for a variety of reasons. They see their competitors publishing online and want to tap into the same environment. This outlay allows them to gain a greater market share. Having an online presence garnishes visibility. Not all readers may be interested in hard copy. People with busy lifestyles may check the net for the latest gossip, stories, etc, just like readers read the Times Online.

Dual publication is another issue. Neil Ward (Garda Review) spoke about having an online presence. He said: “Our online presence is purely about existence. We want people to type us into Google and get basic information from our site. We are a small title that offers some public content but largely hidden content, limited to our subscribed members”.

However, he did add that having dual publication allowed for an expansion of content to the wider public and allowed an extra base for advertisers, although the Garda Review has not fully maximised its potential in terms of advertising online. Also, regarding copyright law, should a journalist be paid for dual publication, i.e. if the same article is used twice? Should a journalist write for two different audiences? The answer is enshrined in Irish law-Copyright Act, 1963. The individual journalist does not own the article; rather his/her employer owns the article once it is published. Thus, the employer should decide in consultation with their staff. A freelancer often writes the same article for different newspapers/magazines. Changing the article in terms of the magazine’s style guide and what it represents, essentially allows for double payment.

Can a universal charging model be created for the provision of online content? Media Mogul Rupert Murdoch has taken the first steps in creating and charting a model for online content. Last year he announced that he was planning to charge reader’s for access to content across his various publications and titles in the UK, Ireland and Australia. The Wall Street Journal has charged for online content over the past few years using a paywall system (Lardinois 2009). From June onwards, readers of The Times and The Sunday Times online will be charged £1 for a day's access or £2 for a week's subscription-perhaps the first step in creating a universal business model for online content (RTE 2010).

A large section of magazine titles have an online presence. Some offer free content and others offer specialised content to subscribers. The Garda Review makes use of both. It offers free public content and limited subscriber content. Can we create a model with limited free content and extra specialised content that readers must pay for?

OK! Magazine seems to think so. It offers limited content and the choice for the reader to delve further into the story (at a cost) or withdraw.

4. The role of market research in the work of a magazine journalist: Market research is a valid tool in any business. The magazine industry is no different. Market research allows for what the reader wants and needs. In return the publisher can produce a magazine capable of fulfilling this task. In 2008, for example, magazines helped to generate €215 million in advertising revenue (PPA 2008). They are also acknowledged as being a central player in reaching core target audiences. With over 300 titles catering for all interest groups, demographics and people, MR can shape and aid a magazines success.

According to An Analysis of the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Advertising on the island of Ireland:
• Magazines have a closer, more personal, more individual relationship with their readers.
• Best reflected reader’s personal beliefs and attitudes (30%-double newspapers).
• Advertising in magazines is shown to be more credible and relevant and is often “more referred back to”.
• 35% agreed that it magazines were tailored to meet their individual needs and 18% as a source of information.
• 32% said it was where they found content they were most interested in.
• 69% of readers read more than 70% of the mag-with 80% reading at home.
(PPA 2008)

With this in mind a journalist/editor should: Try to create a bond with their reader-e.g. tackling issues they find important, targeting the passive/casual consumer as well as the expert. This means a journalist should use everyday language instead of professional jargon. The Garda Review tackles this issue head on. It includes a note from the editor, which creates and builds a rapport for the reader, sections from high rank gardai, superintendents, members of CAB, etc, features ranging from community policing to the Special Olympics and an open mike section, for readers to write in with any short stories, observations, etc.

Be the eyes and ears of their target audience: reflect current trends, fashion, news and sport/entertainment, etc. This may mean that they use MR or reader responses to tackle what readers want/need. The journalist will have to cater for this niche in writing; he/she must place themselves in the reader’s shoes and ask what would interest the reader? Again the Garda Review is a reputable analogy. Neil Ward said: “Our aim is to give a voice to gardai, who are denied a political voice. We tackle issues from a garda perspective. Community, policing, new housing and society-these are all issues relevant to our readers. When commissioning work, we look for writers who can look through the eyes of our readers and see things from their perspective. This is paramount for us”. Rarely, if ever would you see the Garda Review criticise its own members. On the other hand, you often see the same come out and criticise the pension levy, overtime shifts, etc. It has a lot to do with perspective. If they criticise internally, then by extension they may be criticising the Force. It’s just not feasible.

With advertising shown to be more ‘credible and relevant’ the editor, in connection with the advertising editor/person in charge must make a conscious decision as to what is in the interest of the public and public interest. This can help generate greater income and loyalty between advertisers. Ads that are irrelevant are a waste of resources and bring the magazine into disrepute and subsequently degrade its value. This is why the Garda Review uses national ads, which include: EBS, Toyota, Vodafone, Motorola and St.Raphael’s Garda Credit Union. It is all down to specificity, reader demographics and reader profiles-all aspects that can be resolved with successful MR.

With such a high number reading magazines from home (80%), a journalist should try and be creative, have a well laid out page with text broken up with an appealing picture/photo. A variation in length may help to draw the reader in and expand their attention span. The images and photography used in the Garda Review serve this purpose. Text is usually separated, kept tight and broken up with a striking image, for example in the Feb/Mar issue there was a photo of 24-year-old Garda Gary McLoughlin’s coffin being carried by his devastated family and colleagues. This story was broken up with text, a main image and several smaller images of the tricolour, his family and his colleagues giving him a final salute/bidding him farewell.

5. Issues regarding production: newspapers v magazines: There is greater scope in general for more opinion and feature pieces in a magazine than in a newspaper. Within a magazine itself, there may be room to have a feature within each sub section, for example, within arts, etc. The relationship between the magazine and target readership will determine what works and what features to run with.

Features in newspapers have now been devised for people standing up, for e.g. take the Irish Independent going compact and the weekend feature sections of the Irish Examiner that can be whisked away from the remaining paper and easily folded. Whereas in magazines there is a casual, almost relaxed layout style with text being broken up with high quality photographs and images (denoted by the Garda Review). Magazine readers are less likely to switch publication, so newspapers have to work that little bit harder to secure loyalty and thus, this impacts on production stages.

Vital to these production stages are intrinsic (balance of story, conflict and news value) as well as the extrinsic (commercial) news values. The editing process of a feature begins long before the first word is written. There must be advanced planning within the magazine publication and a log book will be useful in recording upcoming events in the proximity to be covered. The production period for magazines depends on how often the publication is released. A feature for example on St.Valentine’s Day may have to be planned well in advance. There will also be periods a peak performance, where events that are central to the publication may result in an increase in readership, for example, the upcoming FIFA World Cup in South Africa would impact on sales for magazines of that nature, for example, World Soccer has already included in-depth team reviews and posters for the upcoming World Cup and included posters, player profiles and calendars, etc. Hot Press would be mad to miss out on the Oxygen music festival as its readers would expect to read gig reviews, listings, who to see, features, pictures, etc. They must live up with reader expectations-be the eyes and ears of their target audience.

Failing to live up to consumer expectations may cause a slump in sales and revenue.

4 Key stages can be identified:
Pre-copy phase: Style and vernacular use may dictate writers approach to the article as well as article length. Also contains a reflective period, where features are analysed-for example, can we use this feature in our UK and Europe edition or do we have to change one perspective. For example, the Hand of Gaul wouldn’t be mentioned in a preview of the French soccer squad, whereas it would be used in analysing Ireland’s departure from the World Cup.

Handling copy: The copy is proof read and checked for accuracy and legal obligations. The topic, length, style and angle may come under scrutiny if the feature fails to live up to the magazine’s image, target readership and style guide. Legal concerns, libel, defamation, etc have to be addressed before proceeding to the next stage.

Production: If the approach is wrong-questions need to be asked whether the feature can be salvaged. If it is a format issue-is it easy to solve? A simple issue of grammar correction, while being a hindrance to the sub-editors, can easily be corrected. However, the structure flow dictates four types of response: the writer can rewrite the copy themselves, it can be sub-edited (in-house), it can be scrapped and replaced, or rewritten by the editor or another writer, usually sending the original writer fuming with their tail between their legs.

Post-copy: Usually an editorial meeting will be held to discuss the previous publication’s short-comings and what can be improved. Sales figures and market research play a major role in the production stage. They are central to the design and layout of the publication, as well as subscribing to and fulfilling the target markets expectations. Whereas this is usually a slow process in a magazine publication (given the frequency of production), it is much quicker in a newspaper setting. The argument could be made that newspapers thus lose out on the finer details regarding style and layout, but the counter-argument suggests that newspaper readers accept a more laxed approach because they are mainly interested in content and do not re-read/revisit the publication as much as magazine readers do (PPA 2008).

C. Conclusion: The Magazine Industry-a guide for working journalists has drawn together some of the key issues affecting the magazine landscape in Ireland and abroad. It is clear from this report that the magazine industry is both a vibrant media environment and an arena of conflict and challenges. The provision of online content is an argument that has taken on a new lease of life, with commentators arguing in favour and against a charging model. The vox populi seems largely to have been ignored with the likes of New Corp not shy in phasing in a charging model. Whether it works or fails remains to be seen. The role of market research has been proven to be effective in helping magazines identify and cater for the needs and wants of their readers. Production values, content, style, the role of product, price and place have all been analysed as to how they can better the publication. Differences in production values between magazines and newspapers were also considered in a general manner.

Having drawn on a large base of media sources and data pools, this report should act as a brief guide into the magazine industry, its benefits and short-comings. It should not be taken at face value, as the industry is ever evolving and what works for one publication may not work for another. In the words of Neil Ward: “Don’t overlook small magazines. They offer you an opportunity to learn hard and soft news values, develop your contacts and knowledge base. You can execute photographic skills, feature and technical writing skills. It is vibrant career pathway”.

Bibliography

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Data pool

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Hogan Stand (2010) ‘Hogan Stand Magazine Subscription’ [online], available: http://www.hoganstand.com/Subscription.aspx [accessed 12 Apr 2010].

Hot Press (2010) HotPress logo [image online], available: http://www.hotpress.com/ [accessed 16 Mar 2010].

IMJ (2010) ‘IMJ Magazine’ [online], available: http://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/Launch.aspx?referral=mypagesuite&pnum=&refresh=oM15Y3c07m0G&EID=a704b55d-3eec-4563-8bb5-6a89c702841a&skip= [accessed 12 Apr 2010].

Limerick Event Guide (LEG) (2010) ‘Article Archive for March 2010’ [online], available: http://www.eightball.ie/2010/03/?cat=7 [accessed 12 Apr 2010].

LFC Christmas Posters and LFC Weekly (2009) [images online], available: http://www.tmsportmedia.com/lfc-magazine/# [accessed 12 Apr 2010].

OK! Magazine (2010) OK! Magazine: Subscription Features [Images and data online], available: http://www.zinio.com/browse/publications/?productId=500353216&offer=500172015&pss=1&RF=OK and http://www.okmagazine.com/2010/04/what-i-ate-today-melissa-rycroft/ [accessed 12 Apr 2010].

PEATER (2008) sponsor links [image online], available: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/eng/eed/research/peater/links/ [accessed 12 Apr 2010].

World Soccer (2010) World Soccer Magazine [image and data online], available: http://www.worldsoccer.com/magazine/ [accessed 12 Apr 2010].