Magazines have evolved from niche publications distributed through newsstands and supermarkets to include online and mobile formats. Some of the earliest magazines from the 1700s like The Review and The Spectator informed the public and set the stage for modern magazines. While magazines originally targeted broad audiences, they now focus on niche groups. The rise of the internet and mobile apps has greatly impacted magazines by making their content more accessible online and through social media platforms. However, audiences have also influenced changes to magazines as they adapted to new technologies. To survive, magazines must find new sources of funding beyond advertisements and provide exclusive, valuable content.

1. Fashion Magazines
Olivia Turner

2. Brief History
 Due to the success of the printing press industry in 1440, newspapers, along
with pamphlets and newsletters became a popular way of receiving
information, as previous to this invention, newsletters and such would have to
be handwritten. This later developed into more niche publications, like
magazines.
 Magazines used to be purchased at newsstands, and then as supermarkets
developed, magazines were sold there too. Nowadays, although magazines
are still available to buy in shops such as Tescos and other supermarkets,
subscriptions are normally how magazines are received. Additionally, some
magazines have an online version.

3. Examples of Early Texts
In the early 1700s, there were three
‘periodicals’ which set the stage for
modern magazines. These three
periodicals were: The Review, by Daniel
Defoe, The Tatler, by Sir Richard Steele,
and The Spectator, by Addison and Steele.
They were published several times a
week, but their content was similar to
modern magazines.
One of the earliest recorded magazines
was from 1731, when an Englishman
named Edward Cave published ‘The
Gentleman’s Magazine.’ His goal was to
create a magazine that the general public
would be interested in.

4. The Original Primary Audience
 The original purpose of magazines was to inform, and so
the original target audience of the magazines were very
broad and not specific.
 However, as magazines have developed and more have been produced, their
audiences have become for niche: the primary target audience for ‘Golf
Monthly’ would be middle aged/older men, with psychographics of Resigned,
Succeeders and possibly Reformers, and demographics of A2, B1s, whereas the
primary target audience for ‘Girl Talk’ would be young girls around 6-13, with
psychographics of Mainstreamers and Aspirers.

5. How Has Technology Impacted Magazines
and their Audiences?
 Modern technology has impacted the magazine industry in multiple ways.
 The internet has made content more instant and accessible, as well as
impacted content, style, quality and affordability.
 The first online only magazine, ‘Salon’ (1995) received 5.8 million visitors
monthly, which caused a surge in online journalism, with other magazines
soon following. Nowadays, many magazines choose digital over physical
publication: in the first half of 2014, UK consumer markets lost almost one
million print sales.
 Apps make magazine content a lot more accessible, generating bigger
audiences, as do online versions of magazines such as Cosmopolitan and
People on social media such as snapchat.

6. Has The Audience Developed due to
Changes in the Platform?
 Audiences haven’t really developed due to changes in th platform, more the
other way round. The platforms have changed to cater for the ever-changing
needs of the audience; as audiences began to use the internet and social
media, magazines followed and developed online copies.

7. What is the future for this form and
why?
 According to experts, funding through adverts cannot be relied on as a source of income for
magazines, as audiences no longer have to read loads of adverts, when they have the choice
not to via the internet. Although it has been argued that magazines will simply have to be
more selective in their adverts, as the premise of advertising is that they show consumers
what they didn’t know they wanted before.
 Magazine content also must be valuable and exclusive in the future, as similar headlines don’t
sell.
 Partnerships are vital for the future of magazines, as ‘collaborations between publishers,
technology companies and brands were producing some impressive results.’