August 16, 2005

Big News Isn't So Big Anymore...

Stop the presses! Celebrity magazines (People, In Touch, etc.) are outselling news magazines. According to figures released by the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC), NewsweekÕs newsstand circulation plummeted 14 percent, while celebrity rag In TouchÕs circulation rose by a whopping 49.7 percent.

Am I surprised? No.

I think there may be several factors at work here. With the newer news options available (cable and Internet), people are getting their information almost as it happens. ItÕs not necessary to wait a week to see what kind of analysis Time Magazine will give to a major news story. Some people, in fact, feel that they are oversaturated with news. Why would those individuals go out of their way to read more?

Magazines, including news magazines, also fall under the category of Òentertainment dollarsÓ for most of us. Think about all of the entertainment options available these days: movies at the theater, movie rentals, cable or satellite television, video games, shopping at stores and online, Internet costs, ad infinitum. With such a wide variety of ways to spend money, certain items are falling in importance on the entertainment totem pole.

(ItÕs tempting to say that the left-leaning MSM is finally seeing a revolt by the unwashed masses, but its clout hasnÕt quite gone the way of the dodo. Ah, wishful thinking, but unrealistic at this point in time.)

But why are celeb mags seeing such a large rise in circulation? Surely the reasons mentioned above for the decline in news magazine sales could apply to magazines touting celebrity gossip and photo Òexclusives.Ó They could, but they donÕt. HereÕs why: We, as a society, love gossip. And, some canÕt get enough of whatÕs going on in the lives of the rich and famous. WhoÕs dating who, who dumped who, what so-and-so wore to the awards show, and which celebrity got arrested last week. We want to see it all, and the sleazier the better.

ItÕs fascinating stuff to many who are looking for an escape from their own humdrum livesÑand perhaps a way to feel superior. Crazy antics like Tom Cruise claiming to be an authority on psychology while touting the cult Scientology and his sudden, suspiciously convenient love affair with Hollywood nymphette Katie Holmes are something we can all look down our noses at. After all, heÕs the one making a fool of himself in front of millions of people.

WhatÕs not to like about that, especially when itÕs printed in color on high gloss paper?

Show Comments »