Coventry Journalism Review 2010

By Mark Rainford

Issues in today’s magazine industry

Printed media has seen a steady decline in circulation figures in recent years. On top of increasing numbers of people finding their news on the internet, the global recession also hit in 2008. “One of the major casualties of the recession has been the media itself,” said John Mair (2009:76). The rise of the internet is the primary reason for falling sales figures because people are able to choose the news they want to read and they can do it all without leaving their armchair. In addition they can find television programmes, music, videos and more online. The resultant content overload means shorter attention spans and a deadly war for easier and more effective ways of presenting information is raging on a daily basis.

However, despite the inevitable difficulties the magazines face it should be noted that the internet cannot replace the key qualities which make people purchase motoring magazines in the first place: reputation and access. The internet may promise information on almost anything in history but it doesn’t get people any closer to the supercars, group tests and breaking car news that they seek to find in magazines. For this reason the internet should not be seen as a problem for magazines but more of a change of direction (Dewdney and Ride 2006) and motoring magazines are already embracing the new technology and reaching out to an ever-increasing audience. Continue reading →