Reflection on the History Of Magazines (6)

 

Magazines were first developed in Europe during the 17th century. This media had a difficult time sitting in one category early on, resulting in magazines being an in-between of newspaper and pleasure reading. 

The first real magazine was published in Germany titled Edifying Monthly Discussions. These proved to be very popular. As we moved into the 18th century, female readers increasingly popularized magazine style publishers. We still see this today, as magazines are typically marketed towards girls and young women.

Following magazine popularization, Great Britain published the three major and most influential magazines. These were consistently published weekly and focused on different yet specific topics. 

The first American magazine was published in 1741. Those first magazines did not last long; however, moving into the 18th century, magazines flourished. Magazines were made cheaper and quicker. American popularization proved continuous female interest. The first truly successful magazine was The Saturday Evening Post. This magazine printed from 1821 to 1969 and included many popular authors. 

With continuing popularization, magazine prices needed to lower in order to keep mass circulation. This was achieved by increasing advertisement price and lowering the sale price. Magazines became a very sought out way to advertise products and services. The lowering price increased magazine sales and held the industry together.

Moving into the 20th century, new types of magazines emerged. These included picture, news, and business. A combination of picture and news magazines are what we see most today. News magazines became increasingly popular during the 1920s. This became the main source of news for many years. Photojournalism became popular as the rise of picture magazines began to sell. 

Moving into the 21st century, technology began to affect the popularization of magazines. We moved to digital articles and "print" releases that dominate our lives and how we access our media.