Industries: the appeal of print - blog tasks

 Industries: the appeal of print - blog tasks

Work through the following tasks to complete your work on magazines. You will find the reading gives you a brilliant insight into a vital aspect of media - the power of independent institutions.

1) Writer's Edit journal article

Read this excellent Writer's Edit academic journal article on the independent magazine industry and answer the following questions:

1) What is the definition of an independent print magazine?

A magazine published without financial support

2) What does Hamilton (2013) suggest about independent magazines in the digital age?

global niche

3) Why does the article suggest that independent magazines might be succeeding while global magazine publishers such as Bauer are struggling?

4) What does the article suggest about how independent publishers use digital media to target their niche audiences?

Collaborations

5) Why is it significant that independent magazines are owned and created by the same people? How does this change the creative process and direction of the magazine?

Establishes a familiarl feel 

6) What does the article suggest regarding the benefits of a 'do-it-yourself' approach to creating independent magazines?

“The term “do-it-yourself/do-it-with-others” emphasises semiotic self-determination in how citizens formulate and live out their identities and actions as citizens”

7) The article discusses the audience appeal of print. Why might audiences love the printed form in the digital age?


8) What are the challenges in terms of funding and distributing an independent magazine?


2) Irish Times feature on independent magazines

Now read this short feature in the Irish Times on the growth of independent magazines and answer the following questions:

1) Why are independent magazines so popular?

2) Why is the magazine publishing industry set up to favour the big global conglomerates?

3) What does the article suggest regarding finding an audience for an independent magazine?

4) What are the challenges for magazine distributors?

5) The article suggests that many independent magazines only make money by diversifying into other products. What examples do they give?