Condé Nast, the huge magazine publisher, acquired their former competition, Fairchild Publishing earlier this year. Now, I’m not sure how intelligent it is for a magazine publisher to be buying anything right now, but Fairchild is the parent company responsible for established magazines such as Women’s Wear Daily, W and Footwear News (?). When Fairchild was purchased, Condé Nast appointed Richard “Mad Dog” Beckham, former top advertising dude at CN to the post of CEO.
Even prior to CN purchasing Fairchild, both companies resided under one roof at the Fairchild Building in New York City. When so many titles were located at the Fairchild, they had a huge, uber-fancy cafeteria built to offer fine dining for the employees. Now, Condé Nast has left Beckman behind and moved almost all of their publications (Golf Digest, Bride’s, Modern Bride, Elegant Bride to name a few) to various locations around New York City. Beckham may be hearing echoes in the halls but at least he’ll get first pick of donuts at the cafeteria. How pissed off do you think he is?
It all may be a moot issue since I sincerely believe magazines may be a thing of the past sooner rather than later. Even Vogue, Vanity Fair (which I subscribe to and it’s now so thin that it looks more like an informational brochure) and Glamour — the money makers — aren’t making enough to float the anchors better known as The New Yorker and Allure. As a matter of fact, CN pulls in over two billion dollars a year in revenue but may post a loss this year (which it hasn’t done since the early nineties).
Anyway, what do you think the prognosis is for magazines and newspapers? Three years? Five? Eternity?
They said that CDs would kill LPs, but they are still available, especially music tracks so DJs can still spin them like they used to.
They said iTunes would kill CDs but most of the people I know would rather download for free elsewhere, then buy the CD if they like the album.
DVD sales are still strong, and blu-ray is doing really well now that the players are getting cheaper.
Newspapers, magazines and books will survive, they may go digital at some point in the distant future by using something like a Sony Reader or a Kindle but books especially will still be printed.
Reading, especially a novel or a poem is more than just looking symbols to absorb words, there is a tactility to holding an actual book in ones hands when reading it. In a way it is not unlike smoking, the force of habit to hold and touch an object lasts much longer that the absorption of its content.
I meant dance music rather than music in general in the 1st sentence ….. I need a proof reader.
I think magazines will do okay. I mean, you can’t sit & read Vogue online in the dentist’s office, right? It’s just not convenient. And Conde Nast has a ton of foodie mags too — and I love to buy those!! It’s nice to take the magazine to the kitchen, have a picture to look at while you try the recipe . . . doesn’t work as well with recipes online (although the archive of recipes is fantastic!).
And since I’m a devoted bathtub reader, I will always buy magazines so I don’t have to feel 1) guilty for getting my nice books crinkly, and 2) electricity coursing through my limbs after I’ve dropped the Kindle or the laptop in the bath. :D
There will always be books, but newspapers, magazines and other “dead tree media” will slowly disappear in our lifetimes.