Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Another print publication throws in the towel, GateHouse/CNC picks up the pieces

The recession has killed another print-based publisher. Today, I got a letter from Community Magazines (publisher of Newton magazine, which used to be delivered free to our house) saying that the company is shutting down after eight years. It's a pity. I was one of the people who actually heeded the call in last month's issue to pay a modest $15 subscription, but owner Jonathan Brickman returned the check with the following letter.

Newton Magazine

It's great that Brickman was able to find employment with CNC (owned by GateHouse Media) running magazine sales. I am sure his contacts with luxury vendors (which formed the bedrock of his magazine group's sales) are going to be a huge asset in that position.

Not mentioned in the letter is the impact of the Internet on local publications. The CNC newspapers like the Newton Tab appear to have a better handle on online campaigns than the dinosaurs running the Globe, which during my last check had barely any local online advertising, and a weak print ad lineup as well.

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1 comment:

  1. But here in Somerville, a glossy quarterly has just started up:

    Somerville Scout

    They've published three issues so far, also delivered free to local residents. So far, they have not asked anyone to subscribe.

    ReplyDelete

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