Magazine history

1. HISTORY OF
MAGAZINES

2. IN BRITAIN
• The oldest consumer magazine I’ll in print is The Scots Magazine,
which was first published in 1739, though multiple changes in
ownership and gaps in publication totalling over 90 years weaken
that claim. Lloyd’s List was founded in Edward Lloyd’s England
coffee shop in 1734n and though its online platform is still updated
daily it has not been published as a magazine since 2013 after 274
years

3. PROGRESSIVE ERA (1890S-1920S)
• Mass circulation magazines became much more common after 1900, some with circulations consisting
of thousands, some passed a million in the 1920s – the age of mass media
• Due to rapid expansion of national advertising, the cover price fell sharply to 10 cents.
• One cause was the heavy coverage of corruption in politics, local government and big business,
especially by Muckrakers (journalists who wrote for popular magazines to expose social and political
sins and shortcomings), relying on their own investigative journalism reporting; often working to expose
social ills and corporate and political corruption. Muckraking magazines took on political machines while
raising public awareness of chronic urban poverty, unsafe working conditions, and social issues like
child labor.
• Roosevelt gave these journalists their nickname when he complained that they were not being helpful by
“raking up all the muck”.

4. 21 CENTURY
• Closures of magazines outnumbered launches in North America during 20l9 (Research
Department of Statistca)
• Though both figures declines during 2010-2015, launches outnumbered closures in
these years, sometimes by a 3:1 ratio.
• 93 new magazines launched during the first 6 months of 2014 while only 30 closed in
that time frame, 2 magazines had to change their print schedules (MediaFinder.com)
• Johnson Publishing’s Jet stopped printing regular issues making the transition t digital
format, however still print an annual print edition

5. WOMEN’S MAGAZINES
• Some magazines like Godey’s Lady’s book and Harper’s Bazaar were
exclusively for female audiences, causing them to emphasise the traditional
gender roles of the 19th century.
• Harper;s Barbara was the first to focus exclusively on couture fashion (high
end designs), hasion acessories and textiles. The inclusion of content
surrounding housekeeping may have increased the appeal of the magazine
for a broader audience of women and men concerned about the light
heartedness of a fashion magazine.