How Does Your Favorite Mag Do It?
September 4th, 2008 by Chief NutI’ve been writing a lot about the woes of several industries, caused by the impact of the Internet and, specifically, social media. What I haven’t talked about (yet) is how these ailing business models might realize real change or any actual examples of new ways of thinking.
Here’s one …
Joe Falls, Director of Social Media at Doe Anderson posts a review of I Am Modern magazine. The mag takes a completely different approach from traditional magazine production. Specifically, the content is pulled from an online social network dedicated to Washington D.C./Northern Virginia Moms. This out-of-the-box approach will likely result in a broader, more relevant (hyper-local) content base than if the word-smithing were done by a small staff of professional writers. “But what about quality?”, you may ask. Good point. I would guess they’re not doing away with the editorial staff.
Think about your favorite traditional magazine. What would it look like if it were cheaper, fresher, more niche (targeted) and covered a much broader range of ideas, opinions and topics? Even if the quality of writing was slightly diminished, would it be better? I vote “yes.”
Kudos to Hulya Aksu for finding a new paradigm and trying it on for size. Hey Wired, or Fast Company, I want to write for YOU!
Thank you for the kind mention. Behind the philosophy of I Am Modern Magazine is the equalizing effect of the Internet, Open Source, Social Media and the User Generated Content. Magazine is written by highly educated professionals. Mistakes do happen, but there are 4 volunteers who read the final copy prior to going to print (Open Source model anyone).
In terms of this type of magazine being cheaper, how about you try FREE. Yes, I Am Modern Magazine is freely distributed and relies on advertising revenues only. The magazine is picked up by those who want to read it and not mailed to homes, cluttering mail boxes of unsuspecting citizens. Also, the printer for I Am Modern Magazine is FSC certified, meaning it uses 25% recycled paper, paper from well managed forests, controlled sources and recycled wood or fiber. Ink that is used is soy based and it is recycled with tight control and restrictions.
How many of the major magazines are FSC certified? Not many.
Comment by Murat Aksu — September 5, 2008 @ 10:51 am