lQuestion 1: Go to a bookstore (not BYU’s) and look at the different magazines. Select one that appeals to a highly specialized audience (different from one of your own interests). Read through the magazine and based on the magazine’s content (including the advertisements) prepare a description of the magazine’s “typical reader.” Give specific examples to justify your generalization.
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I went to Barnes and Nobles in Provo, where I read the gamer's magazine, GamePro. The magazine was, of course, geared to gamers with an interest in both console games and computer games. I've played video games (it's a way to connect with my teenage brother), but I was surprised at how accessible the magazine was, even to someone who was as clueless towards gaming as I was. There were more serious magazines about video games on the rack, and those I couldn't make sense of at all. This one, however, seemed to be geared more towards people who just liked gaming (rather than gaming being their entire life).
I think that the magazine's "typical reader" would be someone who was relatively familiar with games, since many of the articles used terminology that was unfamiliar to me, a nongamer. For example, there was an article in the magazine about a game called Dead Space. In the article, the author outlined the "unlockables" of the game. However, there were other articles that were less specific to the gaming culture, like the ethics of one game, or how costly games were today. The magazine would obviously appeal to someone who played a wide variety of games, since it discussed games from all different platforms, as well as computer gaming. However, I would imagine that the reader of GamePro would also be interested in the realm of reality, since there were articles pertaining to real life.
Question 2: What impact will/has the electronic media have/had on the magazine industry?
Well, first of all, I don't think that magazines have been or will be hit as hard as the newspaper industry. Newspapers are failing because one of their main sources of information, classified ads, are being overshadowed by Craig'sList. Newspapers are also struggling because they are so generalized, and only report the news.
Magazines, on the other hand, are incredibly specific, and demassified years ago. They cater to small audiences, so advertisers can see to it that their ads reach the masses that will undoubtedly be interested in what they have to sell.
In addition to remaining appealing to advertisers, magazines also have stayed interesting to their readers. Newspapers have to report news, and sometimes their articles are uninteresting or depressing. Magazines, on the other hand, have no such responsibility to truth, so they can publish whatever stories their readers would be interested in.
Therefore, I believe that electronic media do not necessarily have a negative effect on the magazine industry. If the magazines decide to go electronic, it might actually help their profits. Although they would lose their subscription fees, they would be able to charge more for ads, since they would be reaching a much larger audience online.
In conclusion, I don't think that electronic media will hurt magazines unduly, due to their specific and flexible nature.
I went to Barnes and Nobles in Provo, where I read the gamer's magazine, GamePro. The magazine was, of course, geared to gamers with an interest in both console games and computer games. I've played video games (it's a way to connect with my teenage brother), but I was surprised at how accessible the magazine was, even to someone who was as clueless towards gaming as I was. There were more serious magazines about video games on the rack, and those I couldn't make sense of at all. This one, however, seemed to be geared more towards people who just liked gaming (rather than gaming being their entire life).
I think that the magazine's "typical reader" would be someone who was relatively familiar with games, since many of the articles used terminology that was unfamiliar to me, a nongamer. For example, there was an article in the magazine about a game called Dead Space. In the article, the author outlined the "unlockables" of the game. However, there were other articles that were less specific to the gaming culture, like the ethics of one game, or how costly games were today. The magazine would obviously appeal to someone who played a wide variety of games, since it discussed games from all different platforms, as well as computer gaming. However, I would imagine that the reader of GamePro would also be interested in the realm of reality, since there were articles pertaining to real life.
Question 2: What impact will/has the electronic media have/had on the magazine industry?
Well, first of all, I don't think that magazines have been or will be hit as hard as the newspaper industry. Newspapers are failing because one of their main sources of information, classified ads, are being overshadowed by Craig'sList. Newspapers are also struggling because they are so generalized, and only report the news.
Magazines, on the other hand, are incredibly specific, and demassified years ago. They cater to small audiences, so advertisers can see to it that their ads reach the masses that will undoubtedly be interested in what they have to sell.
In addition to remaining appealing to advertisers, magazines also have stayed interesting to their readers. Newspapers have to report news, and sometimes their articles are uninteresting or depressing. Magazines, on the other hand, have no such responsibility to truth, so they can publish whatever stories their readers would be interested in.
Therefore, I believe that electronic media do not necessarily have a negative effect on the magazine industry. If the magazines decide to go electronic, it might actually help their profits. Although they would lose their subscription fees, they would be able to charge more for ads, since they would be reaching a much larger audience online.
In conclusion, I don't think that electronic media will hurt magazines unduly, due to their specific and flexible nature.
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