The Rise, Reign, and Reinvention of Magazines
I remember growing up in the 1970s when my father, journalist and editor, had several friends who were magazine publishers. In those days, it seemed possible to establish yourself quickly as a publisher and, with a bit of flair, even become something of a local celebrity.
My father often met these men at the Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town, or at the Café Royal near the Cape Times offices.
One I recall had arrived from Australia as a motor car salesman, then established his own motoring magazines.
Another ran a stable of titles and drove a Rolls Royce—proof enough to me, as a boy, that publishing could be both glamorous and lucrative. One of those magazines, remarkably, still exists today.
Fast-forward to now, and the publishing scene looks very different. The decline of magazines is well known, but before we get to that, it’s worth remembering where magazines came from, how they rose to become media superstars of the 20th century, and why a few of them still survive today.
The Origins of the Magazine
The roots of magazines stretch back to 17th-century Europe. In 1663, Johann Rist, a German theologian and poet, launched Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen (“Edifying Monthly Discussions”), a literary and philosophical periodical. Soon after came France’s Journal des Savants (1665), England’s Philosophical Transactions (1665), and Italy’s Giornale de’ letterati (1668). These early magazines catered mainly to intellectuals, publishing scholarly debates, book summaries, and essays.
By 1672, magazines began moving toward lighter fare. France’s Le Mercure Galant (later Mercure de France) mixed news, songs, short verses, and gossip—opening the door to a broader audience. In Britain, Charles Dickens himself founded Household Words in 1850, which serialized fiction and essays.
The very word “magazine,” first used in 1731 with The Gentleman’s Magazine, comes from the Arabic word for “warehouse”—a storehouse of varied knowledge.
The Golden Age: Magazines in the 20th Century
If the 17th century birthed magazines, the 20th century crowned them kings. Their rise was fueled by a mix of social and technological change:
• Rising literacy and mass education created vast audiences.
• Advances in printing, photography, and distribution made magazines cheaper and more attractive.
• Urbanization and industrial wages provided disposable income and hungry readers.
• Advertisers poured money into magazines, which in turn shaped modern consumer culture.
In their heyday, titles like Life magazine, with its pioneering photojournalism, and Reader’s Digest, with its pocket-sized summaries, sold in the millions. They were household staples, shaping culture, politics, and even moral values.
Comics, too, were part of the magazine boom. With their serialized stories and affordable formats, they hooked young readers. Although today specialty comic shops exist in Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Durban, their high prices make them harder for children to collect in the way they once did.
Decline and Demise
The downfall of Life in 1972 marked a turning point. Television delivered moving images instantly, while Life’s photo essays seemed slow by comparison. Costs were high, advertising revenue fell, and editorial drift made it less distinctive.
Reader’s Digest lasted longer, its short, family-friendly pieces translating well across countries—including South Africa. But even it has suffered from digital disruption, and its physical presence has faded.
The lesson? Mass-market magazines, once unstoppable, found themselves overtaken by faster, cheaper, and more versatile media.
Survivors in the 21st Century
And yet, magazines haven’t vanished. Many thrive in print precisely because they serve niches. Globally, AARP The Magazine leads with more than 20 million readers. Vogue maintains prestige through glossy fashion spreads. National Geographic still commands respect with its iconic photography and storytelling. The New Yorker endures for its cultural commentary and long-form journalism.
In South Africa, YOU magazine remains a household name, loved for its accessible features and even its crossword puzzles. Industry magazines—like Engineering News and Mining Weekly—continue to serve professionals who rely on them.
These survivors share a common thread: they deliver specialized content to a loyal audience. In a fragmented media world, that niche loyalty may be the secret to their endurance.
Conclusion
The story of magazines is one of adaptation. Born in intellectual niches, they rose to mass-market dominance in the 20th century and now return to niches in order to survive the digital storm.
Perhaps the real question isn’t whether magazines are dying, but whether their future has always been—quietly—hidden in the niche.
