Declining magazine revenues over the last decade are due to decreases in advertising revenue and sales. The rise of new technologies like free online magazines, apps, and digital downloads have reduced sales as readers can access magazines without cost. Additionally, environmental concerns and higher distribution costs have encouraged readers to use more efficient digital options instead of printed magazines. For magazines to regain readership, they must expand their presence online and through apps, offer subscription packages with gifts, and experiment with new styles and interactive features to appeal to readers.

1. Issues facing the media
By Ellen Louise Ruecroft

2. THE ISSUES
Over the last decade decline in magazines revenue have gone down
dramatically, this is because of a number of reasons.

3. Decline in advertising revenue
• One reason for this is the decrease in advertising revenue.
The rises in new technologies have caused magazine sales
to plummet. For example there are now sites where you
can view magazines for free, apps, digitally downloadable
copies of magazines that readers can look at and read free
of cost, which of course means that the magazine
companies don’t receive any profit from these digital
copies. Websites that allow you to read magazines for free
are websites such as emagazinesfree.com and
readmymag.com, which let readers view the magazine for
nothing, apps for android phones and tablets are often
free or very cheap. Not only do these things allow
magazines to be read for free but make it easier for people
to access by phone, tablet or on any form of laptop, so can
be easily accessed on the go, perfect for people’s busy
lifestyles.

4. The Environment
• With people trying to be more
environmentally friendly, magazines are seen
as a waste of resources so many people
prefer to use more economically efficient
ways of reading magazines such as via apps
or online websites, in order to not waste
resources. People are also sharing magazines
in order to recycle them, to save money and
a resource, meaning that one magazine being
bought, is being read by many more people.

5. Cost of Distribution
• A rise in the cost of disruption, ink, VAT
and paper have dramatically increased
over the years and with sales dropping
many magazine companies tend not to
have the money or resources to produce
many magazines and therefore encourage
readers to read their magazines online in
order to boost their readership and
decrease the cost of production.

6. BRANCHING OUT
In order for the magazine institute to regain its readership it must
branch out into other ways of the media apart from the generic
magazine. This means reaching their target niche audience through
other means such as digitally, e.g. online magazine websites, apps for
iPhones and android phones and tablets, allowing readers quicker
easier access for those on the go.

7. Subscriptions
• They can offer subscription offers such as
chances to receive free gifts if readers
subscribe to the magazine in order to
receive the gifts. This encourages readers
to tie into a contract where they must by
the magazine every time it is published for
a slightly discounted price, giving
magazine companies definite profits.

8. Experimenting
• Magazines could also try experimenting
with different styles, layouts and offers
such as allowing the reader to create the
front cover. This is to try and appeal more
to the reader by giving the magazine a
unique selling point, making it different to
other magazines and catching the eye of
the reader.