| Author | Message | ||
     Thumper Veteran Poster Username: Thumper Post Number: 844 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
Hello All, Vibe magazine bites the dust! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/30/vibe-magazine-folds_n_223166.html | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 13852 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
A sign of the times. I hear that Ebony has cut back to coming out only every other month. Sad. | ||
| Ferociouskitty Veteran Poster Username: Ferociouskitty Post Number: 765 Registered: 02-2008 Rating: N/A |
I picked up Jet today at my former in-laws' house, and it felt like a pamphlet. | ||
| Carey AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Carey Post Number: 1989 Registered: 05-2004 Rating: N/A |
I don't think it's just about vibe or Ebony. WE get all our information so fast and from so many different outlets. I can't think of anything a magazine can bring to the table that one can't get some place else and cheaper. In fact, we can get most of that information at no cost. Now, Ebony was a look into our lives but now we are all over the place. | ||
| Soul_sister Regular Poster Username: Soul_sister Post Number: 99 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: |
Hey y'all, I am sadden by the dearth of printed publications. I was a journalism major and LOVE to read paper publications. I pick up the two local free papers Examiner and Express - and pay for the Washington Post and Washington Times and on Tuesday I grab a NY Times - because of the science news - -yes, I am a chocolate nerdette - don't hate -- smile. Yesterday on the bus I witnessed someone reading from a Kindle -- and thought how cold and impersonal. I love the FEEL of paper and the dustjacket designs - heck if I am threatened I can throw the book at an attacker -- I would have to think twice if it were a Kindle. I still subscribe to JET and appreciate their efforts to make it "informative/sexy" news. They sporatically publish twice a month instead of weekly. Ebony, Essence and the others I lost interest a L-O-N-G time ago. I agree that we consume information in other formats, seemingly the biggest issue is advertising $$ - that generate the income to sustain print publications. With our advertising on billboards, breast & but logos, pop-ups and spam - anyone interested can generate big cash through the electronic media. Peace out - 80's style | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 8037 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: |
Vibe was crap anyway. It was mostly one long commercial with a few articles sprinkled in it. It was an insult to be asked to buy the thing, and I hate to say it, Rolling Stone was doing better with black articles. The Source was better anyway, but it is falling down with the same thing. | ||
| Troy AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Troy Post Number: 1864 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
People pretty much agree Vibe's best days were long past. I just read the latest issue of the New Yorker -- it can be described as text dense -- full of well written articles and few ads. How do they do it? Soul Sister don't hate on the Kindle devices like it will help save reading. Besides what is the almost oral fixation that people have with physical books. Most people throw books away... However I'm always reading about someone's love affair with the printed page, the smell, the texture, ohh, ooo, ahhhhhh!! Brother Leroy Baylor (former Director of Advertising at Black Issues Book Review), in an email exchange I've been listening on contributed the following to the exchange. I found it interesting: 1) Remember ther postal rate hike about 4 years ago. The understanding in trade publications is that the rates were tweeked to give the largest publishing houses a break. The smaller publications were penalized as in the overall Bush policy of taxing the have-nots and cutting the rates for the 'haves'. Thus, the smaller publishing houses, white, non-white, etc are being hammered on the postal rates. 2) If a publishing house was/is operating from its own realestate, they had one greatly reduced expense. But, if they were renting in 'downtown' space to 'impress' de massas, that was a luxury expense. Why? Because, that does not increase the inclination of the folks to advertise with you anyway, in my opinion. 3) The philosphy of the magazines have to involve a political consciousness when depending on 'white' ad dollars. When times are good, keep the expenses low. Maintain a healthy 'wine and dine 'em' policy, but keep expenses low. Remember how each Dave Chappelle show ended? Well, with de folks, it's never going to be that kind of thing if they have anything to do with it. 4) We must always 'give' de folks more than they are paying for. How do you do that? Think outside the box but don't give back dollars or, ideas that are cash cows for them. This can be how you position things, how well you sell, not how much you can run up expenses. 5) When we service their accts and come up with ideas that are money makers, reserve them for your business. Imagine them servicing your acct, would they give you a money making idea? Find a way to hold these ideas and feed into another income stream. Now, be aware that 'negroes' on your team are always prone to double back and tell de massa ebby thing. 6) We are in a unique information stage where the flow of stuff on cable and tv posing as news sources gives the public the notion that they are being 'informed'. All the while, they are being dumbed down. So, what does your magazine have to offer that is so unique the readers have to come to you? If you're hip hop, they feel that they can get that from blogs, radio, cable, etc. Plus, many of our young brothers and sisters are 'graduating' with poor reading ability. The same is happening with non-blacks. Each magazine has to be examined separately for its strength and weaknesses and what can be salvaged and re-packaged to attract an audience. Summary: The postal rates and the on-truck distribution costs are the cancers that can't be cut out. To kill them you have to cease business. The number of readers in America may be shrinking with every high school graduating class. If this is true, it's very serious for any vehicle that requires readers. | ||
| Chrishayden "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Chrishayden Post Number: 8043 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: |
The thing that has hurt black publications is accepting advertising from white folks. |
