I can’t believe these three mags even exist any more. I recently got US News as a premium when I signed up for Salon. I don’t even try to read it any more. At best there is a semi-interesting editorial by John Leo or someone in there. Now that we’ve dealt with the positives (hah), let’s go on to the negatives:
- Stale. These mags have been made totally irrelevant by the Internet. The information is stale, to say the least, but not only have you already supped on the facts by the time the thing comes in the mail, you’ve also gorged yourself on a smorgasbord of blogs and online snacks that have treated of the topic in depth.
And TV is just another reason why newsmags are irrelevant, though not for me, since to me the Internet also makes TV news of no use.
- Unforgivably lowbrow. I enjoy stupidity and vulgarity just like the next guy, but the newsmags are totally conflicted: They package themselves as serious news and put on that sort of dumbshow, but both the vocabulary and tone bely the fact that they are written for a fairly uneducated and unsophisticated audience.
What’s with the hyperactive covers, the headlines full of cheap puns? Those are there to sell to people too stupid (or too lazy or old or whatever) to log onto the Net and get real information.
What happened, though? If you look at any of these mags from the 1960s, there is a harndess to the journalism that puts today’s mags to shame. It’s sad that the tradition has died, but it’s no great loss in terms of what information is available: the Internet covers it.
- Phonily neutral. The Internet has, in my opinion, also destroyed forever a certain newswriting format or template–and good riddance, too. Even before the age of the Web my friend and I both noticed this and despised it. It works like this:
Some people say this [orthodox view]. Soundbytes, quotes. But others say this [contrary view, superficially presented]. Soundbyte, quote. But although we can’t say it explicitly, we’re going to stick with [orthodox view, reprised]. Kicker soundbyte, quote.
Note that this is still the default style for most “serious” TV journalism, which, of course, is quickly being replaced with Fox-style shlock reporting and other abominations.
The reason why the above algorithm no longer functions is that the Web is proudly partisan. Instead of reading one piece that pretends to be neutral, how much better it is to read several partisan pieces on each side and make up one’s mind for oneself. For truly fact-based reporting, the AP and other wire services do a good enough job.
It’s really pathetic, though, to see US News et al. stuck in the same rut. Reporting on the election, Iraq, whatever. It’s a lot like the Jehovah’s Witnesses walking up to the door and asking if you’ve ever heard of Jesus. Yes, I fucking know all about it.
I guess those three points pretty much cover it. But how about a bonus rant on magazines and newspapers in general?
Begin Bonus Rant
For some reason the magazine Fast Company was sent to me. I get a bunch of these through Salon. What fucking shit. Cover with someone they’re trying to hype on it, an article about “movers and shakers you really need to get to know.” Fuck off. This is the same old media scam that’s existed forever, the symbiosis between the hype-er and hype-ee. The hype-ees want to be promoted, talked up, sold to the public like some sort of product placement because that PR–no brainer–sells whatever they’re selling. The hype-ers can exist only insofar as they can engage the public’s interest in whatever they’re hyping.
This is fine for a hobby mag or something that lays no claim to importance. Car magazines hype cars because they’re written for people into cars, golf mags for golfers, etc. No joke, this is info about products.
But the women’s mags make me sick. They are 100% dedicated to the dumbing down of the female population and keeping them in the same grind of fashion-buying and celebrity-worshipping. If the phrase “same old shit” doesn’t apply to them, there is no category to which it does. Sex secrets that will make him brag about you to his buddies and 202 weight loss tips for summer and Zipperless fall fashions with zip–the crap just cycles through.
I really can’t grasp why 90% of the mags out there still exist. Some, certainly, are specialized, and therefore printed most likely as a way to encourage people to pay for the information (like books).
But the rest–what’s going on? What kind of circulation numbers are out there? Give me some facts and share your opinions on the above. Thanks.