Tuesday, October 23, 2012

And now there is only one: After 80 years of publishing, Newsweek will cease its print edition, leaving Time Magazine



Newsweek was a staple in the waiting room of so many physicians (and lawyers) offices for so many years. As a child, I remember picking up copies in my dad's office and enjoying the mix of pictures and stories.  

The publication went from a subscriber base of over 3 million in 2008 to 1.5 million in January 2010. Audio pioneer Sid Harmon (of Harmon Kardon fame) purchased the magazine from the Washington Post for One dollar and the assumption of its debt.

It then merged with the online ezine The Daily Beast with Tina Brown acting as editor-in-chief of both. 

Tina gained notoriety for her provocative covers and for expanding traditional coverage of politics and world affairs to include fashion and pop culture. 

All her efforts were to no avail as advertising revenue continued to tank and the two cultures of Newsweek and The Daily Beast never could merge and synergize.

In interviews, Tina has said it was inevitable that the magazine would go to a digital only edition because of the "seismic shift' away from print publications to an online format.

Brown feels that all magazines at some future time will only be available online.

Time Magazine, however, seems to be the exception, as it is the only successful domestic news weekly still in print.




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