#24 - Magazine History

Hello blog!

Today, I want to start real work towards producing my final magazine. As a first step, I wanted to do some research on magazines. I focused on the history of magazines and house styles. Let's get into what I learned!

The History of Magazines

Magazines have been around for centuries. With the invention of the printing press, printed reading materials became widely available. In the 17th century (around 1663-1668), the world's first magazines were produced in Europe. As time went on, literacy rates rose, especially for women. This meant an entirely new market of people could have magazines catered to them. This does not come as a shock, considering how the world was entering the age of Enlightenment, which was a time where knowledge and intellectual thinking was highly valued.

It did not take very long for magazines to reach the Americas. The first magazines in the United States were published in 1741 by Andrew Bradford and Benjamin Franklin. Magazines were initially very expensive and few could afford them. However, by the 1830s, publishers started targeting a different audience - the general public. Cheaper magazines that focused on entertainment rather than intellectual content began to spread.

Over time, magazines became more specialized. Magazines tailored to specific interests began to emerge in the 1800s, and this is a feature of the magazine market that is still prevalent today. In the 1900s, newsmagazines (ex. Time, Forbes, Business Week) and picture magazines (ex. Life, Focus, Look) became popular. Newsmagazines spread worldwide information while picture magazines contained stories told through photography (photojournalism).

In the present day, magazines are still being produced and sold. Im fact, I picked one up at my local grocery store just the other day! However, technology and increased online media consumption presents a significant challenge to a traditionally print medium. 

Do you think print magazines will be able to stay relevant in this digital age? Or will they need to fully digitize to reach newer generations? Tell me what you think down below!

Talk to you later!

References

Information sourced from:

    open.lib.umn.edu/mediaandculture/chapter/5-2-history-of-magazine-publishing/

    www.magazines.com/history-of-magazines

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