Magazines Flashcards
First Two Magazines in the Colonies
Both originated in Philadelphia in 1741:
Ben Franklin’s General Magazine and Historical Chronicle
William Bradford’s American Magazine
(The former lasted 6 months, the latter 3months.)
There were several other short-lived attempts up to the revolution.
(too few readers and writers as well as high cost of publishing and distribution beyond a local market.)
It took till the end of the 1780’s for any to become financially successfully.
limited by relatively low literacy rates and the cost.
Potential subscribers were spread far and wide across the entire territory of the new republic.
Postal rates gave no break to magazines until 1794.
Copyright Act of 1790
Copyright Act of 1790 helped to stimulate the publishing industry.
Gave authors and publishers exclusive right to their publications for 14 years (renewable for 14 more).
Anyone else wishing to use protected material had to pay a royalty fee.
During this period, American magazines were aimed at
the better educated, wealthy and the small numbers of nascent the “middle class.”
In the early 1800’s the new trend was toward literary magazines…
popularizing emerging early American literature… particularly serialization of novels.
Saturday Evening Post
An early and long lasting example of this style magazine was the Saturday Evening Post (1821-1969) Covering weekly events Politics Art Reviews Travelogues Short stories Serialized fiction
First national magazines were politically oriented:
Port Folio organ of the Federalist featuring Hamilton’s Federalist Papers and the argument for a strong central government.
Opposed to this and a voice of the anti-federalist was the National Magazine of Richmond.
Magazines began to move their attention from
the elites to a wider and now more sustainable and growing mass audience.
Civil War Era
Magazines began to have a greater impact in the USA.
Harpers Weekly (started 1857) still alive and popular to this day.
It began as an illustrated weekly (in the fashion of today’s Newsweek, Time, and US News and World Report
Distinguishing Magazine and Newspapers in that Era
Newspapers were published daily
Emphasis on headlines
Daily events
Magazines published weekly or monthly
Offered more illustrations (then photos),
In depth coverage and analysis…
longer stories, investigative reporting.
Focus on trends rather than daily events.
Specialized Magazines began to Appear
Late 1800’s Women became the first successfully targeted audience.
Ladies Home Journal,
Good Housekeeping
McCall’s.
Stimulation to the Magazine Publishing Industry
Postal Act of 1879.
Magazines were awarded special mailing rates…
Subsidy still enjoyed today.
3rd class rates yet treated as 1st class mail.
Trends Affecting 20th Century Magazines
Population shifts from agricultural to industrial society.
Increased literacy
More leisure time
Concomitant increased interest in civic affairs
Increased desire to pursue learning
Publishers Provided More Choices
To an increasing variety of interest groups. Investigative mags,
digests,
news and
pictures
By the early 1900’s mags overtook newspapers as the conduit for investigative reporting and crusades for business and social reform.
Nationally circulated and inexpensive mags reached millions of readers and had a great impact on public opinion.
