Picture this, clueless magazine publishers

[by Todd] Let's see if you have what it takes to be a magazine publisher. Please study the following comments  from this New York Times article and see what conclusions you would draw.

Comment one

“Colleges have typically been a black hole for magazines in terms of distribution...”

Comment two

“There’s no question that younger people are much more oriented toward getting information from the Web than older people ... But that doesn’t mean they don’t have a place for magazines in their lives.”

So what do you do to reach college students?

Put your content on the web? No, no, no. You make kids download software so they can read pictures of your magazine. See why you aren't getting paid the big bucks?

But the brains at The Magazine Publisher's Association -- because they are so in tune with hip kids -- will email students a link to the electronic versions of the magazine, so they can download them to read on laptops at a later time.

For now, some students will be getting electronic subscriptions for free. In the future, however, they will have to pay, the exact same rate as if they got the print version. See the genius here? Magazines will save the printing and shipping cost, and pass the savings to their bottom line. Watch and learn.

James Meigs, publisher of Popular Mechanic, is one of the publishers gung ho on this program, and apparently quite happy with his vision:

“I don’t see this so much as something that will replace print, but augment print,” Mr. Meigs said. “This is an industry that needs to be flexible, and we need to be in front of our readers.”

Someone might want to tell Mr. Meigs that the light he sees isn't the end of a tunnel. It's the daily clue train picking up speed.

Comments

[patmcgraw]

Think of it this way - I am a college student and I have access to the university's library. Most university's have online services that allow me to perform research from the comfort of my home/dorm. Once I graduate, the university provides me with lifelong access to the library - on the ground and online. And I can access all these magazines for free via the online services. Silly publishers - the train has already run them over. They just don't realize it.

[Cam Beck]

One would think declining their readerships would be a wake up call for the publishers. I suspect they are still seeking justification for overcharging for their print advertising.

[Ken Wheaton]

It's sort of like these guys are all stuck in Folsom Prison, but don't have the sense to play the blues. They're all juiced up, singing "Happy, Happy! Joy, Joy!" instead.