Decline of magazines due to advertisements

Sifting through any number of magazines, one has to trudge through pages upon pages of advertisements before even reaching an article. While many find this task annoying, it is necessary for the survival of America’s magazine industry. Without these ads, magazines would cease to exist. While this outlook can be disheartening with the state of the economy, the outlook is not all bad.
With the economy at an all time low and companies cutting back on spending, the magazine world is finding it hard to thrive. It is not only the print industry that is suffering, but the business world as well. The closures of major magazines such as Blender and Vibe have caused many consumers to question the longevity of the magazine industry.
“I feel like every time I hear about magazines or newspapers in the news it’s about one closing. When I hear this, I can’t help but think about how much longer magazines are going to be around,” said Emily Jackson, 19, a psychology major from Atlanta.
One may believe the decline of the magazine industry is due to consumers and their readership. According to the Magazine Publishers of America, this is not the case. Circulation was down only by .4 percent in 2008.
The closing down of magazines is “more closely aligned to the economy and advertiser demand than consumer demand,” said an article on MPA’s website.
The relation of the economy and the print industry are closely related. With consumers decreasing purchases, businesses must cut back spending as well. In turn, advertisements are axed causing magazines to lose profit and inevitably shut down. Even though the number of magazines closing has increased, the number of magazines being published has also increased. The total number of magazines being published rose by at least 1,000 from the previous year.
According to the MPA’s 2009 Handbook, more than four out of five adults in the United States read magazines. While many magazines are closing, it is not due to the lack of readership, but due to the business side of the industry.
While the total number of magazines rise, the number of advertisements being bought has declined. A report released by the Publishers Information Bureau states the total revenue for advertisement spending in the first quarter of 2009, which is January to March, was down 20.2 percent from the previous year. With businesses and companies having to cut expenses, it would seem logical to cut advertisements first rather than lay off employees.
“If I were a business owner I would definitely try to cut my expenses else where, such as advertising and unnecessary expenses rather than fire my employees,” said Jeremy Paul, 21, from Columbia, Tenn., “there are other ways to save money.”
Lisa Wagner, 24, a previous magazine intern from Alpharetta, Ga. noticed firsthand the hesitance from business owners to shell out money for ads.
“Businesses were very reluctant to pay for advertisements in the magazine,” she said. “At one point we offered discounted rates for full page ads.”
The economy is not the only factor to consider when dealing with magazine closings. With magazines going online and consumer’s tastes changing constantly, these factors do not alone close a magazine, but help the downfall.