Christopher Hampton - Atonement Q&A

Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith interviews screenwriter Christopher Hampton about Atonement

Copyright Unlikely Films, Inc. 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Not Currently Available

Canadian online publishing awards launched

Congratulations to Mastheadonline magazine for launching the first-ever Canadian Online Publishing Awards, a new awards program honouring excellence in online editorial and innovation by Canadian magazine and website publishers. Contest rules are here. Entries cost $50.The competition is open to English- or French-language online publications based in Canada. The publication must carry some

Bobbi magazine closed

What if they stopped publishing a magazine and nobody noticed? The magazine Bobbi has suspended publication, according to a story in Masthead, but in fact the last issue actually reaching the end user was fall 2008. The reason given for the closure (which has been characterized as a suspension): lack of advertising support. While the winter 2009 issue was readied for printing, the company held

Um, is this exactly what they mean?

"Greedy CEOs: How executives became obscenely overpaid and what can be done about it. Only in Maclean's." (the heading in a press release)

Condé Nast insiders wondering about how big crucial September issues will be

According to an estimate from Forbes magazine, the Newhouse family's fortune, based on Advance Publications' newspaper and magazine (Condé Nast) empire, has fallen by 50% to $4 billion.And a number of insiders are reported by Keith Kelly of the New York Post saying that staff at the magazine empire are looking gloomily at July, when most of the big September issues of Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ and

Quebec Magazine Awards results

The Quebec Magazine Awards (Concours des Grands Prix 2009 de Magazines du Québec) have been made and the magazines of the year were L'actualité (>50,000 circ.) and à Reflet de Société (<50,000). The Jean Paré prize went to Marie-Hélène Proulx of Jobboom. Above is a group picture of some of the winners.The full list of awards is available at the Magazines du Québec website.

National Post to stop publishing Mondays for the summer

Saying that it won't result in layoffs, the National Post said today that it will not publish on Mondays for nine weeks this summer in a move to cut costs. The traditionally thin Monday paper, usually thinner still in the summer and, now, made more so by the recession, will stop appearing starting sometime in June, the paper told Reuters. (No word on whether subscribers will get a 16% rebate on

Quote, unquote: the fallacy of the "print is dead" meme

When I was 20, I wore a T-shirt that said "Don't trust anyone over 30." It seemed to be completely clear at the time. It made so much sense. Anyone who didn't see what I saw was destined for the dustbin of history. I was wrong, but it happens every 40 years or so. 1920s, 1880s,1840s, 1790s. A new cohort enters the global arena. They think the way they see the world is the Truth. It's the error of

Magazine world view

Real Simple Magazine's Reality Show Ends (Blog Magazine)MPA to Meet With Top Administration Officials to Discuss Issues Affecting Magazine Industry (Folio:)Bondholders hold future of Independent News & Media in hands (Guardian)McGraw-Hill Media Division Profits Plunge 76% (Folio:)Justice Dept. Scrutinizes Google Books Settlement For Possible Antitrust Violations (paidContent.org)Source Interlink

Olive Media to rep Prevention website

Olive Media, the online sales specialist which represents magazine-related health sites such as BestHealthMag.ca now is to represent health magazine website Prevention.com in Canada.According to a story in Media in Canada, the New York-based magazine (published by Rodale) has 11 million readers, and focuses on health, weight loss, fitness and nutrition. The site targets women 40-plus and skews

Flare asks readers to write about inspiring fashion moment

Flare magazine is holding a contest for novice writers in celebration of its 30th anniversary.In 600 words or less [sic] Flare wants you to tell them what fashion moment of the past 30 years has inspired them the most [says the press release]. Seeking writers from coast to coast the "finalist" will be selected from all the entries received and will be judged based upon originality, creativity and

Quote, unquote: On producing tangibility

'I suppose when the history of it all is written, the bankers will get the blame. My father was in the City (he chaired Lloyd's), but I never had any intention of following him. Over the last five years, I had an inflated sense of admiration for bankers - how clever they were to think about money in the abstract. I'm bad at that. Every month, we produce a show - that we fill with as many ads as

Patrick Walsh of Outdoor Canada named volunteer of the year

It has been announced that Patrick Walsh, Editor of Outdoor Canada, has been named Magazines Canada's volunteer of the year for 2008. "Pat Walsh is the quintessential industry volunteer," said Mark Jamison, CEO, Magazines Canada in a release. "He is generous with his time and his expertise, and he is curious, always willing to wade into areas that enhance his understanding of the entire

Rogers Media, including mags, see 73% profit drop in Q1 2009

Rogers Media, which encompasses Rogers Publishing, saw a 73% drop in operating profit and a 7% drop in operating revenue in the first three months of 2009, according to figures released by the company. Revenue was $284 million in Q1, compared with $307 million in the same quarter a year ago. Operating profit was $6 million, compared to $22 million.The company attributed the results primarily to

Doom-meister Jarvis is hopeful for (some) magazines

Frequent blogger Jeff Jarvis of BuzzMachine, the Guardian and the City University of New York is best known for his rather doom-laden posts about the bleak future for newspapers. The author of What Would Google Do? pulls no punches in that department. So it was with some trepidation that I approached his post headed Are magazines doomed too? and found he didn't think so. Though in typical fashion

New Glasgow thinks it gets a raw deal from MoneySense rankings

Rankings and listings are meat and drink to many magazines -- something around which they build annual theme issues (for instance, the Maclean's universities issue) and the various top 10, 50, 100 or 1,000 lists.One of these is the popular annual ranking by MoneySense magazine of Canada's Best Places to Live, in which the cities and towns at the top of the list crow and promote their livability (

Party to be held celebrating life of Derek Weiler, late editor of Q & Q

A party is being held in Toronto on Wednesday, April 29, to celebrate Quill & Quire's late editor, Derek Weiler. The event is being hosted by Pages Bookstore’s This Is Not a Reading Series and takes place at the Gladstone Hotel, 1214 Queen Street West, beginning at 8:00 p.m. and going until 1:00 a.m. Admission is free.More information is available on the event’s Facebook page.

And you know how heavy elephants can be...

Things you wouldn't know if you didn't read the trade press: According to a news item in Solid Waste & Recycling, 50 million pounds of rechargable batteries have been collected since 1994 by Call2Recycle. "The amount of rechargeable batteries recycled through the program is equivalent to the weight of approximately 5,000 elephants."

Is direct mail dead as a source of new subscribers?

Interesting online discussion on the Folio: mediaPRO social network about whether -- or not -- direct mail is dead as a means of finding new subscribers. More interesting that it is largely between two of the best writers and designers of direct mail packages for subscriber acquisition.The discussion is kicked off by a question from Kenneth Schneider of Houston, Texas, who says:Those days of

Magazine world view

Portfolio fails -- and it won't be the last (Marketwatch)Sports Illustrated Digital President to Step Down(Folio:)English language newspaper to launch in France (Guardian)Vogue cover features African-American model (Blog Magazine)

Readership is dodgy, but you've at least found a way to cut the postage bill...

We thought we were on top of all the various kinds of circulation strategies but, clearly, no. A Boston-based conceptual artist Tim Devin has come up with an idea that has gone global: Leaving magazines on park benches.Every month or so about 50 copies of a magazine (yes, you read that right, 50 copies) called "I left this here for you to read" are placed on benches, in buses and in dentist's

KRW Awards finalists announced

The top 10 finalists in the 12 categories of the Kenneth R. Wilson Awards for business-to-business publications, have been announced by the Canadian Business Press (CBP). The awards themselves will be given June 1 in a ceremony at the John Bassett Theatre in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Early bird tickets are available until May 1 at $85 for a CBP member and $100 for a non-member. Master

Canadian Family magazine finds its readers are sexual keeners, regular cleaners

Sex and money play a prominent role in the results from the annual survey conducted by Canadian Family magazine. It found that 83% of respondents (largely married women) are comfortable with their sex lives but that only half of them talk frankly with their children about the family's finances."The results of Canadian Family's reader survey, in our first ever Love Issue, really showcases the

Supreme Court ponders "responsible journalism" defence

The Supreme Court of Canada was last week urged not to create a new "responsible journalism" defence for media organizations because it would injure the ability of individuals to defend their reputations.The Toronto Star was sued by businessman Peter Grant over a front-page story in June 2001 headlined "Cottagers teed off over golf course; Long-time Harris backer awaits Tory nod on plan". Grant

National Post loses one-fifth of daily paid circulation

[This post has been updated]The National Post has lost a fifth of its daily paid circulation (20.22% or 40,000 copies) in Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) figures for the six months ended March 31. In 2008, its daily paid circ was 199,402; in 2009, 159,089. Its Saturday average was down 18.8% or 39,574 copies). In 2008 it was 209,595; in 2009, 170,021.The Globe and Mail average weekday paid

Portfolio magazine closed after only two years

The most expensive magazine launch in the history of Condé Nast has fizzled out. The company today announced it was shuttering Portfolio, its struggling business magazine (in which $100 million was reported to have been invested), according to a story in Folio:.The 450,000-circ magazine was launched in April 2007 and did some excellent editorial work. However, before it much got its legs under it

U.S. circulation spill into Canada continues to decline

US magazine circulation spill into Canada is continuing a steady downward slide, according to a report from Magazines Canada. Only three US titles -- National Geographic (35th); Cosmopolitan (61st); and People (97th) -- now make the list of the top 100 magazines in Canada by circulation.Total US circulation, as measured by ABC, has declined by one-third whereas average circulation per US spill

As the top 10 go, so goes the newsstand

Baird Davis has a comprehensive look in the trade magazine Audience Development at the newsstand situation in the U.S. , a situation that went flooey in the last half of 2008. The sales slide began in the first half, he says, and "accelerated liked a souped-up Maserati in the second half" as sales declines a record 10.1% and revenue was down 2.1%Changes included a sharp decline in sales, a

Ad decline of 16.3% in Q1 for magazines measured by LNA

Advertising for many of the largest magazines in Canada has declined 16.3% in the first quarter of 2009, according to a report in Masthead, based on proprietary data from Leading National Advertisers. The data, using ad page counts from 71 consumer, custom and special interest publications, shows that 60 of the titles tracked losses of pages and 37 saw declines of 20% or more.Revenue figures,

Radical journal keeps stoking the flame of activism

Interesting Q & A recently on rabble.ca with one of the founders of the radical journal Upping the Anti. In it, Tom Keefer told Jenn Watt that the twice-a-year journal began in April 2005 and is created by a loose coalition of activists from across Canada and around the world who have been working together in various capacities for the past 5 to 15 years. "Mainstream culture devalues both reading

Rachel Getting Married Q&A

Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith interviews screenwriter Jenny Lumet and producer Neda Armian about Rachel Getting Married

Copyright Unlikely Films, Inc. 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Not Currently Available

Magazine ad people being asked to support National Magazine Awards

Brian Stendel of Keystone Media Inc. is appealing to members of the magazine advertising community to help sponsor a National Magazines Awards category, similar to the pitch that Kim Pittaway did to the "creators" and I did to past presidents. Here's what he says:The National Magazine Awards could use our help right now. I'm inviting the magazine reps of Canada to toss a little cash in the hat

US postal service has a direct mail sale

Faced with a big gap in its mail stream in the first quarter of 2009, the US Postal Service (USPS) is doing the natural and sensible thing: it's having a summer sale. Canadian magazine publishers who do high volumes of direct mail solicitations for subscriptions would be hard-pressed to imagine Canada Post doing something so innovative.According to an interview in the website Target Marketing:

Truckers' magazine reports Alberta minister approves of pedal to the metal

A Missouri-based trade magazine for truckers, Land Line Magazine, reports that Alberta Transportation Minister Luke Ouellette rejects any idea of making commercial trucks observe the speed limits on the province's highways. He apparently made the remarks during an Alberta Motor Transportation Association conference last Friday. "Transportation Minister Luke Ouellette announced that Alberta will

BPAWW and CCAB certified to audit trade and consumer show attendance

Magazine audit firm BPA Worldwide and its Canadian division, CCAB, were recently certified to provide audits of attendance at trade and consumer shows. It thereby became the first auditor of media to be certified by the Canadian Event Audit Advisory Council (CEAAC). The CEAAC, a not-for-profit organization formed in May 2008, is made up of a group of trade and consumer show professionals for

Not dead yet: UK Press Gazette bought and carries on under new ownership

Not so long ago, we posted a report of the demise of the UK Press Gazette magazine, which seemed a lamentable parallel to the end of the print editon of Canada's Masthead. Well, happily, just as word of Masthead's death was exaggerated and it has come back strongly as an online vehicle, now the Press Gazette has been bought by deep-pocketed investor Mike Danson (who recently also acquired full

Herald Trib's nameplate changes as NYT "tightens the leash"

A slight detour from this blog's usual fascination with magazines, into that delightful cul-de-sac of typography.This time about the decision by the New York Times to essentially "tighten the leash" and remove distinctiveness of the International Herald Tribune newspaper by redesigning its nameplate and slugging it "The Global Edition of the New York Times". Plus redirecting people who go to the

Print papers see big online growth with complementary sites

The magazine Editor & Publisher has published a tally of the best-drawing US newspaper websites for the month of March and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, which stopped its print edition March 17 has dropped out of the top 30 as a consequence of seeing its number of unique visitors fall by 23%.This adds fuel to the controversy over whether digital-only publishing can ever replace the power of

More on Barbara Moon

For those interested in more background about the late Barbara Moon (see earlier post about her death), there is one of Sandra Martin's usual, excellent obituary articles in the Globe and Mail today, headed: She was tough and smart and (some) people loved her.

40 magazine jobs cut at Rogers Publishing

[This post has been updated] Masthead magazine is reporting that 40 jobs have been cut happening in the consumer and b2b magazines at Rogers, apparently as part of wider layoffs across all divisions.Rogers Publishing Ltd. laid off about 40 staffers in its consumer and b-to-b publishing divisions this morning, a source close to the company tells Masthead. The figure represents about 4% of the

Playboy may be stripped of NY stock exchange listing

The mighty Playboy empire, built on the eponymous magazine, is in danger of being delisted by the New York stock exchange.Playboy Enterprises Inc. has received notice from the New York Stock Exchange that it is not in compliance with the exchange's listing criteria, per a SEC filing [says a story in MediaDaily News.] Playboy's average market cap over a 30-day trading period fell below $75 million

American ambassadorships often one step in a lobbying career path

Embassy magazine publishes a column about speculation of who will be the next U.S. ambassador to Canada; the smart money is on David Jacobson, a Chicago lawyer, fundraiser and "bundler" for Barack Obama. Columnist Leslie Campbell explores the career path of past U.S. ambassadors, many of whom wind up as lobbyists advising Canadian clients after their term is up.Campbell is critical of the Harper

Walrus, L'actualité & Toronto Life lead magaward nominations

The finalists for the National Magazine Awards have been announced. Among the highlights:• Cynthia Brouse has been awarded The Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement for her exceptional contributions to the Canadian magazines community. • The three finalists for the coveted award Magazine of the Year are AlbertaViews, Canadian Business and Spacing.• The winner of this year's award for Best

With Mom, you get air miles

Today's Parent magazine has partnered with LoyaltyOne, Inc. and created a website where you can say nice things about your Mom and make yourself eligible to receive 25,000 Air Miles reward miles. Second prize is 10,000 points; third is 5,000. The "Celebrate Mom" promotion runs until May 8.

Magazine people step up to help the awards

This being a tough year for the National Magazine Awards, it's interesting to see how people from within the industry are stepping up to help. An appeal went out yesterday from former awards foundation president Kim Pittaway, asking for contributions to a "creators' fund"; if she can raise $1,500, that will be enough to sponsor one of the awards. Anyone interested can reach Kim at kapittaway[at]

Publishers of Driven to create custom pub for XM satellite radio listeners

Auto Journal Inc., the publishers of DRIVEN magazine and Auto Journal, have announced that they are launching a new, quarterly custom publication to be delivered to subscribers to XM Canada satellite radio.The first issue will be published June 22 and go to 80,000 XM Canada subscribers across Canada. “This is exactly what our subscribers have been looking for: a way to link their listening

Province goes ahead with promised $5 million increase for Ontario Arts Council

The Ontario Government is, despite concerns that it might be having second thoughts (because of the dire economy) will add $5 million to the budget of the Ontario Arts Council, bringing its annual grant to $60 million. The province's press release says that the money will helpdevelop Ontario arts organizations and artistspromote art and culture in communities across Ontarioincrease its services

Toronto Life to launch fashion and home design e-letter

Toronto Life, which has been innovative in using e-letters, is launching a weekly fashion and home design newsletter next week, according to a story in Media in Canada. The newsletter will be sent to an intitial base of 15,000 readers (those who have opted into other e-info from TorontoLife.com. The newsletter will feature the latest trends in clothing and home fashions, and dons regular sections

Corporate Knights lauds top companies for getting along with aboriginals

Corporate Knights Magazine has published a list of Canada's top companies when it comes to relations with aboriginal communities. It examined 28 companies based on size in four sectors: Forestry, Mining, Oil and Gas, and Utilities. It looked at employment, business development, community relations, environmental impact, and governance. And the top companies were:Forestry: Domtar Corp.Mining:

Esquire on its last legs? List of doom says two major mags will vanish by next year

Department of ghoulish speculation: The blog 24/7 wallst.com has created a list of the 12 major brands that will disappear in the next 18 months or so and among them are Esquire magazine and Architectural Digest.Based on examining the public information available on some 100 brands, including sales information, brand histories, level of competition in each brand’s market and the extent to which

Transcon's CEO says -- cautiously -- that advertising slump is stabilizing

Well, that's all right then. Francois Olivier, CEO of printer-publisher Transcontinental Inc., said Monday that the 2008 slump in newspaper and magazine advertising is stabilizing in Canada and probably in the U.S. He told the Montreal Gazette:"The signs give us hope in Canada but we won't get a firm idea where the market is heading until autumn," he said after addressing the Canadian Club of

B.C. Marijuana Party may fold and throw its support to the Greens

The publisher of Cannabis Culture magazine and leader of the B.C. Marijuana Party, Marc Emery, says that he may fold the party after running in the B.C. provincial election and put his energies into getting the B.C. Green Party elected from now on. According to a story in The Tyee: The Marijuana Party has been active in B.C. politics since May 2001 when the party ran a full slate of candidates

Youngblood's PrintAction mags retain CDS Global to handle subscription services

Youngblood Publishing Ltd., the publishers of various graphic arts magazines, including PrintAction and its trade and buyers guides, have hired CDS Global to handle its fulfillment and e-commerce transactions, outbound telemarketing and invoicing and renewals for all subscriptions. Previously and for the past 38 years, Youngblood has maintained its own full-time circulation marketing manager

Magazine world view

Senate newspaper hearings to begin May 6 (Huffington Post)Feds looking at "Amazon" tax (Adotas)Hearst to Double Rate Base of Food Network Mag (Folio:)Striking journalists in Scotland backed by SNP and Labour MPs (Guardian)A degree of despair: Journalism students question their choice of career(Guardian)Peter Preston: As the web cripples papers, an internet licence fee could help deliver the news(

OHS Canada article wins health and safety award

A feature by Dan Birch in the June 2008 issue of OHS Canada magazine has been given a major award by the Industrial Accident Prevention Association. The article "Under Fire", dealt with the non-traditional workplace health and safety concerns of police officers. The IAPA Russ Ramsay Media Awards, now in its second year, was established to honour outstanding journalism that enhances the public

What teeth ad:edit guidelines had are being pulled for expediency

Ad:edit guidelines in both Canada and the United States have always been voluntary, relying on the good sense and goodwill of subscribing members. In Canada, it was an industry task force made up of editors, advertising sales people and publishers who hammered out the rules, which rely wholly on moral suasion. In the U.S. they were developed by a committee of the American Society of Magazine

Respected magazine editor Barbara Moon dies

[This post has been updated] Much, doubtless, will be written in recollection in the days to come about Barbara Moon, known to many as one of Canada's most outstanding magazine editors and writers. According to a death notice in the Globe and Mail, she died last Wednesday near her home in retirement, Picton, Ontario, after a brief illness. She is survived by her husband, Wynne Thomas.Barbara was

Compliments to Geist magazine received, and deserved

It doesn't happen very often (or, perhaps, not often enough) that one Canadian magazine sends a mash note to another. In the case in question, Toro magazine (now an online site only) has published a panegyric by senior writer Salvatore Difalco to the Vancouver-based literary Geist that must make founding editor Stephen Osborne blush, if only for a moment. [Disclosure: Osborne is an occasional

Canadian Business Press publishes digital directory of members

It's a definite sign of the times that the new Canadian Business Press directory is published digitally. Working with Texterity, the Guide to Business and Professional Publications provides thumbnails of all CBPs 156 publications; the directory is searchable and contains live links to the various individual publication and publishing company websites.

Steven Knight - Eastern Promises Q&A

Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith interviews screenwriter Steven Knight about Eastern Promises

Copyright Unlikely Films, Inc. 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Not Currently Available

CAJ awards finalists announced

The finalists in the Canadian Association of Journalists awards have been announced. In the magazine category the nominees are:Susan McClelland, "Cut Both Ways" -- ChatelaineAlex Roslin, "The Pill Pushers" -- The Georgia StraightMichael Friscolanti, "A National Embarrassment" -- Maclean’sMichael Friscolanti and Martin Patriquin, "Caught in the No-Fly Web" -- Maclean’sCaitlin Crawshaw, "Go the

Not dead yet; Mr. Magazine's startup tally shows amazing innovation

The gleeful reporting of the decline of the magazine industry has some antidotes and they are facts. Samir (Mr. Magazine) Husni is the source of some of those facts, most notably a running tally of magazine startups that has much greater reliability and depth of analysis than other sources. And he doesn't pull any punches about the reporters and pundits who witter on about magazines' decline; he

Budget cuts mean fashion vanishes from weekly New York Times Magazine

Those devoted to the weekly fashion pages in the New York Times Magazine will have to get their fix elsewhere. A memorandum to staff from executive editor Bill Keller detailing budget cuts, (reproduced by Gawker, the Manhattan media blog), says in part:The weekly fashion spreads will no longer appear in the main magazine; instead we will focus our fashion coverage in the T Magazines, and the

PM criticized in Embassy magazine for squandering Canada's Cuban advantage

Two academics, writing in the latest issue of Embassy magazine, have severely criticized Prime Minister Stephen Harper's government for allowing Canada's relationship with Cuba to deteriorate. In the article, "Our Disappearing Cuba Advantage", coming as it did just before the announcement of a slight thaw in U.S. attitudes to Cuba, Dalhousie University's John Kirk and University of P.E.I.'s Peter

Sheridan graduate show highlights the "power of illustration"

The Sheridan College illlustration program graduate show in Toronto is always a highlight and this year is no exception.For the second year the program partnered with Rethink Communications to create a brand for the illustration grads and the program. This year's theme is "the power of illustration".The students were handed an unfinished sentence: "Illustrators have the power to ________." and

Freefall magazine story shortlisted for Alberta Literary Awards

A short story published in the Calgary-based literary quarterly FreeFall magazine has been shortlisted for the 2009 Alberta Literary Awards. Andrea Beca, who is well-known in Edmonton theatre circles, was selected for her short story" The Disappearing Act". (Beca's story was also nominated for the Writers’ Trust of Canada/ McClelland & Stewart Journey Prize.) The Alberta Literary Awards will be

Freeze blue box rates; make system fair, demands Magazines Ontario

Magazines Ontario says the Ontario blue box recycling program works against the interest of Ontario-based magazines. In a bulletin published today, the association has made some vigorous recommendations to Stewardship Ontario, the body that presides over the blue box recycling program, one of which is to freeze its rates at 2008 levels.Tomorrow morning, Stewardship Ontario is holding its annual

Quebec court authorizes freelancers' class action again Montreal Gazette et al

The Quebec Superior Court has authorized a class action to proceed against the Montreal Gazette and many of the biggest companies in Canadian publishing, after a 10-year struggle by the Electronic Rights Defence Committee (ERDC) .According to a posting on the ERDC website: At issue is electronic use without permission or compensation for work by freelance writers in The Montreal Gazette. The

"Online only" may not be the panacea some publishers think

Here's a cautionary tale for those who seem to think that a choice must be made between publishing in print or online. It has always seemed to me that the "complementary" nature of print and online is self-evidently beneficial; the trick is in striking the right balance.

Six Canadian magazines nominated for Utne Independent Press Awards

The annual Utne Independent Press Awards finalists have been announced, among them six Canadian titles. (Unfortunately, one of the titles -- ascent, from Montreal, has closed as of March 31.) Winners will be announced at a celebration in Boulder, Colorado, during the Magazine Publishers of America’s Independent Magazine Group conference (May 17-19) and published in the July-August issue of Utne

Masthead editor prowls the Aussie newsstands

After a visit to Australia, Masthead editor Marco Ursi has some observations on magazines on the other side of the world, including remarking on the higher cover prices and the preponderance of single copy sales.

The Tyee tops $13,000 donations to election reporting fund

The Tyee's innovative election reporting fund has topped $13,000 to help the online magazine ramp up its reporting of the campaign leading up to the May 12 BC election.

Canadian magazine stats are "tremendously stable", says Magazines Canada

Magazines Canada has published an analysis of the recently released PMB data which shows that, over the past five years, time spent reading, average interest scores and average number of reading occasions have remained "tremendously stable" and consistent:Readers per copy (RPC) has remained stable over recent years while average magazine readership, 1.03 million compared to 1.06 million in PMB

Magazine world view

Natmags absorbing Hearst Digital, laying off fifth of staff (paidContent:UK)Sport magazine ceases publication (Guardian)News Corp to form global editorial hub (Guardian)Mike Danson buys New Statesman (Guardian)Interview, Steve Brill, Part I: ‘We Shouldn’t Sue, We Should Do It’ (paidContent.org) Consumer mag ad pages sink 26% (Folio:)

Wholesaler disruption blamed as US newsstand sales drop 12%

The recent disruption of delivery to newsstands, including the closure of Anderson News, resulted in U.S. single copy sales falling roughly 12% in the first quarter, according to figures from Magazine Information Network (MagNet), as reported in Mediaweek.The results are based on point-of-purchase estimates and could end up higher once all returned magazines are counted.The delivery disruption

Magazine Industry needs to preach optimism, says Time Inc. CEO

The CEO of one of the world's largest magazine companies acknowledges that the current downturn in the industry is"more challenging than previous recessions," but Ann Moore of Time Inc. told an industry event that there were many reasons for optimism. And she said that the magazine industry needs "to start preaching optimism in our businesses and brands." According to the story in MediaDaily

High-powered trio setting up system to enable pay-for-content

Several longtime media players, including Stephen Brill (creator of Brill's Content, Court TV and American Lawyer) have launched a company called Journalism Online Inc. which aims to provide print publishers with the tools necessary to get paid for their online content.Along with Brill, the company includes Gordon Crovitz, a former publisher of the Wall Street Journal and Leo Hindery, who headed

Stars unmasked in French Elle

It would not be so remarkable, were it not so remarkable: French Elle's April issue publishes several covers of extremely attractive stars -- without makeup! and without Photoshop! What is the world of magazines coming to? [Via Jezebel]

CSME lunch panel to talk about reconciling sales and the reader experience

Bringing in revenue without compromising the reader experience. Sounds good. "How to Sell without Selling Out" is the topic of the next Canadian Society of Magazines Editors (CSME) luncheon, with a panel discussion including:Peter Willson, Associate Publisher, Hello! CanadaDouglas Thomson, Editor, Canadian Home WorkshopSharon Donaldson, Online Editor, cottagelife.com, exlore-mag.com and

A major shift underway in attitudes about magazine pricing and value

Some magazines are realizing that they have consistently undervalued their products, to the point where readers could be forgiven for being confused about the value proposition. In another context, I have said how bizarre it is to price a magazine for less than it costs to buy a high-end greeting card.It has made less and less sense to give the whip hand to advertising revenue. A recent article

"Bootstrap" business mag for designers launched as print on demand

A new magazine in the U.S. aimed at helping design firms run good businesses has been launched as a "bootstrap publication", made available through the print-on-demand firm Lulu.com.Design Business Review's first edition (129 pages, b&w pages) is available now for $13.50. No apologies are made on the DBR website for the plain-vanilla appearance or rush to publication:DBR is a quick-to-market

Mike's heart belongs to Audi...

A friend who has been following our coverage of the erosion of the integrity of magazine covers, writes:The April/May 2009 Sharp magazine inserted with delivery of the Globe and Mail this morning has a flap opening on Mike Weir's chest to reveal an Audi Q5. Headline is "Mike Weir On Tiger's Tail: The Greatest Canadian Golfer talks fame, money and fatherhood"... oh, and then the flap implies he's

BC Book & Magazine Week has events across the province

"Words connect" is the theme of BC Book & Magazine Week, which begins this weekend with a long agenda of events in locations across the province. The week-long literary celebration (April 18 - 25), co-sponsored by the BC Association of Magazine Publishers (BCAMP) and the Association of Book Publishers of BC (ABPBC)was founded in January 1999 as BC Book Week, and in 2001 the event expanded to

Enjoy...oh, of course this only applies if you still have your job...

A memorandum to all employees of Reader's Digest, worldwide, from the company president:April 8, 2009To: All EmployeesFrom: Mary BernerRe: Thank You Initiative / Birthdays offThe Executive Committee and I wanted to do something for everyone across the world to express our thanks and appreciation for all of the sacrifices you have made and will continue to have to make to help

Green Living gets a makeover

Green Living magazine has had a makeover. Gone is the eco-fashion and beauty, replaced with a greater emphasis on smarter eco features and more depth. The website has also been redesigned and relaunched, with the addition of eco guides for Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa. The new issue will be available Wednesday, in time for the forthcoming 3rd annual Green Living show at the Direct

Quote, unquote: Canwest Global shares said to be worth nothing

"Given the significant liquidity challenges facing the company, we see no residual value in the shares of Canwest," -- BMO Capital Markets analyst Tim Casey. "We see no compelling reason to own, let alone buy Canwest shares, which we would continue to avoid," -- National Bank Financial analyst Adam Shine. "We continue to believe there is significant risk Canwest is forced into bankruptcy

Goodbye to the scoop

Marketwatch columnist Jon Friedman laments the disappearance of the journalistic scoop. Remember when a reporter would revel in "beating" everybody else to a story? And when competitors had to scramble to "match" a scoop?But ego gratification aside, I have to wonder: How much do scoops still matter in the thick of the digital revolution? Not so much, I'm afraid. With the exception of a

"Cycles, trends and wobbles" in the magazine business

Guardian columnist Jim Bilton observes that the underlying fundamentals of the magazine industry -- particularly circulation pricing -- is part of a complex mix :Cycles are relatively easy to spot, as they keep on recurring. Since the late 80s, the industry has seen two launch booms, the last one in 2003-05. In 2006, the number and size of launches fell dramatically and they have continued to

Magazine world view

Good scales back frequency (Folio:)Investigative journalism under threat from new regulations (Guardian)Boston Foundation not so hot to buy the Globe (Media Nation)Amazon Says 'Glitch' Caused Sales-Rank Outage For Gay, Lesbian Titles (Media Nation)Active Interest Media Acquires Four Magazines(Folio:)Hearst to offer coupons on sites (Folio:)

Canadian Musician magazine turns 30

Canadian Musician magazine (CM) is marking 30 years of publication. It first issue appeared in the spring of 1979, featuring rock legend Burton Cummings on the cover.Jim Norris, the publisher, promises in a press release:"The next 30 years will be even more exciting than the last."CM is a bi-monthly that covers prominent Canadian artists, the latest gear, technique and the business of music.

Derek Weiler, editor of Quill & Quire dies, aged 40

[This post has been updated] Derek Weiler, the editor of Quill & Quire, the magazine for the library and book trade, passed away suddenly on Sunday at 40. The death was announced in a posting on the magazine's website.Weiler graduated from the University of Waterloo with Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees in English Literature, and from Centennial College in Toronto with a Certificate in

Quote, unquote: It's the links, stupid

Everyone talks about Google’s algorithms as if it were some giant artificial intelligence that had its own ability to judge the value of content. The greatest irony of the web content economy is that Google by itself doesn’t have a clue what content is good or bad. Google is able to deliver relevant search results only because every site on the web helps them figure it out. Google’s algorithm is

Readers pay up to ensure The Tyee can fully cover BC election

The Tyee, the web-based magazine published in Vancouver, has so far raised more than $7,000 to help finance its enhanced coverage of the looming British Columbia election.According to a story published by Canadian Press, the magazine had hoped to raise $5,000 to pay for an extra reporter over the 10-day campaign; in return, donors could indicate which area of coverage they would like to see

That tears it...Financial Post magazine rips out story to mollify subject

According to a story in the Toronto Star, the current issue of the Financial Post magazine has one of its stories ripped out of each copy at the behest of the Manulife Financial Corporation and the subject of the story, Manulife's CEO Dominic D'Allesandro. The magazine has a per-issue circulation of more than 200,000 copies.The story – titled "Bang for the Buck. Dominic D'Alessandro's options and

Quote, unquote: Tyler Brûlé puts more boots on the ground

Monocle publisher Tyler Brûlé in an interview with LAist, which asked for the reasons for the magazine's success when other magazines were failing:I think we have the single edition. We’re fortunate enough that we can rely on a variety of advertising markets. That we don’t just have to rely on New York as an advertising base. That’s one of the reasons how we’ve been able to very much in positive

ASME calls two magazines on the carpet for ad encroachment on covers

[This post has been updated] The American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME) has called two magazines on the carpet, criticizing ESPN the Magazine and Entertainment Weekly for recent ads on the magazines' covers, according to a story by Nat Ives in AdAge.As readers of Canadian Magazines will know, there have been a flurry of instances of advertising impinging on covers, traditionally viewed as

How freelancers can survive, even thrive, in the recession

In another of its occasional, laudable get-togethers for its members, the Toronto Freelance Editors & Writers group had a panel about how freelancers could best survive the recession. The panel included four freelance editors and writers (Kim Pittaway, Astrid Vandenbroek, Jason McBride & Nina Boccia.) A very good summary was made of the event by freelancer Jennifer McPhee who gave me permission

Jody Hill - Observe and Report Q&A

Senior Editor Jeff Goldsmith interviews writer-director Jody Hill about Observe and Report

Copyright Unlikely Films, Inc. 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Not Currently Available

Geist goes green

After nineteen years of patient study, Geist magazine has finally made the leap to green. The spring issue of the national quarterly of fact and fiction is printed with vegetable inks on eco-friendly paper stocks supplied by Hemlock Printers (who are certified by the Forest Stewardship Council).The occasion has been marked with a new cover design by Steffan Quong using artwork by Rebecca Dolan of

Magazine world view

Spectator Business cuts schedule from monthly to quarterly(Guardian)Vanity Fair kills green issue (Blogmagazine.com)Local Government Association defends council-run newspapers (Guardian)What Are A Million Social-Media Followers, Friends Or Subscribers Worth?(paidContent.org)Ecologist mag goes web-only(UK Press Gazette)Hearst's Bronstein Takes On Colbert: Internet Is Not Killing Newspapers—But

Printer Quebecor World to emerge from bankruptcy

Quebecor World, one of the largest printers in the world and a major printer of magazines, says it is about to emerge from bankruptcy protection that was put in place January 2008. A restructuring has allowed the company to recapitalize and the announcement came after a year of negotiations with creditors."This is a consensual agreement among the three main creditor constituencies - the banks,

Ryerson Review launch on Tuesday 14th

Everyone is welcome to attend the launch party in Toronto for the Ryerson Review of Journalism Spring and Summer issues at the Cadillac Lounge, 1296 Queen Street west of Dufferin, April 14, 2009, 5:30-8.

Questionable quote

On the opening page (p. 147) of the Life section of Canadian Living this month is a quote from Clarence Thomas, the U.S. Supreme Court justice:Good manners will open doors that the best education cannot.Which would be all very well (nice sentiment) were it not coming from someone whose appointment to the bench was accompanied by considerable controversy, never fully resolved. Perhaps people have

All in the family

Mixed feelings about the announcement that Moira Forbes, the daughter of billionaire media magnate Steve Forbes of Forbes magazine, granddaughter of Malcolm Forbes, has become the first publisher in Forbes' history with the launch of a new quarterly print mag and website spinoff from the eponymous business title. It's called ForbesWoman.Targetted at professional women, its first print issue due

Ad encroachment on magazine covers comes in many different forms

For those who want to review the trends and controversy surrounding the encroachment of ads on magazines covers -- albeit in the U.S. -- Nat Ives has an good roundup in the April 1 issue of AdAge.

1. Cow. 2. Barn door. Closing 2 after 1 has walked through

From a story in the New York Times:Taking aim at the way news is spread across the Internet, The Associated Press said on Monday that it will demand that Web sites obtain permission to use the work of The A.P. or its member newspapers, and share revenue with the news organizations, and that it will take legal action those that do not.From the New York magazine site, a similar story:The Associated

Is there a print magazine advertising correction coming?

Blogger Dan McCarthy (ViralHousingFix) raises an interesting question about the disconnect between print advertising pricing and the expectations of advertisers. Yes, it can be proven that viewers only register 37% of internet ads and, yes, so-called "old media" are better value in terms of engagement and impact. But...We’re in the middle of the biggest economic disruption in generations.

Quote, unquote: print guy moves on

I feel like the man who has been poor and rich and is here to tell us that rich is better. A veteran of the pre-Internet era and a user of the Net for a decade and a half, I’ve formed a firm opinion: Net is way better.-- former Saturday Night editor, now National Post columnist and blogger, Robert Fulford, writing in a column about his conversion.

UK Press Gazette to close after 43 years

[This post has been updated] The UK Press Gazette, which has been reporting on the media industry in Great Britain for 43 years, is being shut down. The owners, Wilmington Group plc bought the magazine out of bankruptcy protection in 2006, but said that despite significant investment, it was not able to bring it to profitability.Unlike Masthead magazine in Canada, which closed down its print

Magazines Canada launches "friends" site -- a possible "e-mail army"

Magazines Canada has plans to mobilize an "e-mail army" of Canadians to defend the Canadian magazines and content they love.The national association is today launching the "Friends of Canadian Magazines Network". MC says the goal is to use the site to build awareness of the value and impact of Canadian content magazines among Canadians and thereby among political decision makers.“Friends” who

Hook readers with free content, then sell them something, says Rodale CEO

Rodale Publishing (Men's Health, Prevention) is riding out the recession because of the strength of its free online content is selling its paid books, according to a story in Forbes magazine.Chief executive Steven Murphy said in an interview that, though the magazine's ad pages were down 5% last year (compared with the industry average 12%) that approximately 42% of their subscribers have bought

Magazine world view

Thomson Reuters staff vote for industrial action (Guardian) NYTCO Threatens to Close 'Boston Globe' (MediaDaily News)The Husni Report: New Magazine Launches in Q-1 of 2009 are UP…(MrMagazine.com)Internet advertising revenues surpass $23 Billion in ’08 (Internet Advertising Bureau)

Adbusters wins appeal, can carry on with suit against Global, CBC

Adbusters Media Foundation, which operates Adbusters magazine, has won the right to continue its lawsuit against Global Television Network Inc. and Global Communications Limited. and won the right to add the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a defendant to a lawsuit. This, according to a story published by the Georgia Straight. In a unanimous three-member decision released at the end of last

OMG!!! Maclean's!!! What happened to your cover?

Maclean's. Its latest mission? To boldly go down slippery slopes, where Esquire has gone before. See posts passim.With its April 13 issue, Maclean's leaps aboard the flapvert toboggan. Complete with an arrow and the words "OPEN HERE".Not "OPEN HERE IF YOU WISH TO GAZE UPON AN ADVERT FROM A CAR COMPANY".No, it is implied that the reader would "open here" to partly reveal the answer to the

Magazines' amazing capacity to adapt

There is absolutely no reason to think that most magazines and the industry itself won’t be able to adapt again, now, in the face of all that we’re dealing with. That’s as true for a larger consumer magazine as it is for a literary journal with 300 subscribers.-- From a keynote speech by D. B. Scott delivered to the Atlantic Magazines Association conference in Halifax, Sunday March 29.

Free news must stop, Murdoch says

Rupert Murdoch, whose Wall Street Journal has always charged readers for access to its online content, says all other papers will have to do the same thing. According to a story from Reuters, Murdoch, who bought Dow Jones and its flagship WSJ in 2007, told a cable television conference in Washington:"People reading news for free on the Web, that’s got to change.” Murdoch pointed to the Journal’s

Big U.S. mags saw 7-year newsstand decline of 31%: ABC

Newsstand sales for 70 of the biggest American magazine titles declined 31% in the seven years 2001 - 2008, according to an analysis done by the Audit Bureau of Circulations. It was reported by in MediaDaily News. 55 out of 70 titles saw newsstand sales fall and the over all decline was from an average 22.3 million in the second half of 2001 to 15.4 million in the second half of 2008.These

Magazines work for young-skewing brands, research finds

Magazine ads work in reaching young women, says a study conducted for Avon Products . According to a story in AdAge, Avon was so impressed by the impact print advertising had on its youthful-skewing Mark brand cosmetics, that it has reinforced its commitment to magazines. People are much more likely to pay attention to magazine ads than online ads, said David Shiffman, senior VP-connections

Small Farm Canada contributor honoured for her poetry

A regular contributor for Small Farm Canada magazine, Emily McGiffin, a twenty-eight-year-old from Smithers, British Columbia has received the prestigious Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers for a selection of her poetry.The award, administered by the Writers' Trust of Canada, is given annually to a Canadian author under the age of thirty-five, for work not yet published in book form.

Atlantic Journalism Awards magazine finalists announced

The finalists for the Atlantic Journalism Awards have been announced. Magazine-related categories are:Atlantic Magazine - Best ArticleEleanor Beaton - Saltscapes Magazine, Giving Away The FarmJack MacAndrew - Saltscapes Magazine , Springhill '58Sandra Phinney - Saltscapes Magazine, Full Celtic CircleAtlantic Magazine - Best CoverFurry's Magazine, Halifax, January/February 2008, Time For

Magazine-friendly e-reader may be only a year away

Current "e-readers" like the Kindle and Sony Reader weren't designed with periodicals in mind, such as magazines. They were designed for reading books.But it is looking more and more like technology may catch up with interest and need.As an article in the New York Observer points out, Kindle offers formats for magazines, but "hokey black-and-white screens" don't do them justice. And free

Digital guy on what makes printed magazines 'cool'

Interesting short video interview by Samir Husni with Jim Sexton, senior vice president and editorial director of Southern Progress Corporation Digital Network. Among other things, he points out that in an digital age, if you knew nothing about a printed magazine and someone told them about all its attributes and benefits , they'd say "That's cool." The interview is one of a series of Q & As that

Quote, unquote: too much magazine inventory, not enough buyers

“Most publishers have the same problems as car dealers or home builders—that is, they have too much inventory and not enough buyers. There are too many magazines, too many web sites and too many conferences—and not enough advertising or marketing spending to support them. So just as stores close and auto dealerships disappear, media properties get shut down. It’s not really about costs or

Elle Canada rolls it all out into a day-long consumer show

Elle Canada is taking a new tack in working with and wooing advertisers by hosting what is effectively an all-day consumer show for fashionistas, featuring thirty vendors and sponsored seminars on clothing, shoes and accessories, as well as makeup and hair trends. The event is at the Carlu in Toronto on April 25thAccording to a story in Media in Canada,this combination of seminars, fashion shows,

Canadian Homes Trends to launch enhanced electronic version

Canadian Home Trends - Canada's Home Decor & Lifestyle Magazine is launching an electronic version, available April 7, that actually contains 20% more editorial pages than its print edition. Single copy and subscription sales will be available.

Royal Ontario Museum magazine relaunched with new look and content

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) has relaunched its quarterly magazine (at one time called Rotunda) with a whole new look provided by the Toronto design firm Hambly & Woolley Inc. and new sections and features that explore latest acquisitions, stories about international curators, and interdisciplinary opinions on the latest buzz in arts and culture.“ROM magazine has always been full of fascinating