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Characteristics and Types of Magazines PDF
Characteristics and Types of Magazines PDF
Definition of magazines:
Apart from being regularly published storehouses of
information, magazines, also called periodicals, serials,
glossies or slicks, are publications that appear on a
regular interval and contain a variety of content or
articles.
Magazines fall under the category of print mass media.
Other types of print media are newspapers and books.
Print media has had an interesting journey and
magazines, even more so. Here is a detailed look at the
topic:
History of magazines:
The English word magazine is derived from the Arabic
word ‘makhazin’ that meant military storehouse of war
materiel.
The word ‘Magazine’ was coined for use by Edward Cave,
editor of The Gentleman's Magazine.
Before magazines started in England, articles were being
published in periodical format in England since the turn of
the eighteenth century. Daniel Defoe started the first
English magazine, The Review, in 1704 during or just
after his imprisonment for criticizing the Church of
England. His purpose was to offer his comment, criticism
and satire to influence public taste.
The form of the Review set the form for British
magazines. Joseph Addison, a well known social critic,
followed it’s example by writing essays for his friend
Richard Steele’s magazine Tatler. Addison also created
The Spectator, the most famous of the early British
journals. It looked just like newspapers.
In 1731, Edward Cave published the first issue of The
Gentleman’s Magazine, the first periodical to feature a
mix of informative and entertaining genres, and the first
to call itself a “magazine.”
Ten years later, the first magazines in the American
colonies appeared, following the British formats,
published by Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Bradford.
In the nineteenth century, increased literacy, a larger
middle class, and expansion led to a greater demand for
magazines that could transmit information to the frontier.
c. Women’s magazines:
Most women’s magazines are positioned as having a
marginal role in the public domain. Women’s magazines
are also generally not associated with the forms of
journalism which bring citizens information of crucial
democratic importance.
Editorially, this genre of magazines focuses on family
structures and women’s role in society. For example,
some popular women’s magazines of today which reach
much younger female readers such as Cosmopolitan,
Seventeen, and YM, share the characteristic of focusing
on fashion, family, sex, lifestyle, diet, fitness etc.
d. Men’s magazines:
They are niche magazines for men as a general audience.
Most magazines in this genre share the characteristic of
focusing on specific hobbies and DIY projects.
Topic wise most popular men’s magazines like Popular
Science and Field & Stream focus on science and
technology.
Not all dwell on sex, of course; there are numerous
magazines devoted to cars, motorcycles and computers
that have large male readerships.
Even Playboy developed a history of publishing short
stories by such notable writers as Arthur C. Clarke, Ian
Fleming, Vladimir Nabokov, and Margaret Atwood.
Distribution of Magazines:
Magazines can be distributed through the mail; through
sales at newsstands, bookstores or other vendors; and
through a variety of free distribution methods including
making them available at selected pick-up locations.
Future of magazines: