01-14-2021, 12:33 AM
Have to add my usual comment when this type discussion comes up, which it does not just here but on a couple other boards I'm on. (Though they too are dwindling in number).
The problem with "magazines" isn't that they are print but content. This is something I've observed over the last 20-25 years, before social media took over the world. It started when editorial "style" and "format" began taking the place of quality content. First saw it ins some magazines my wife was getting as they started playing with graphics and fonts on the page to look fancy. But didn't say much. Then watched it creep into everything outdoor sports magazines to hobbies to woodworking. Articles and word count got shorter, with more blocks of soundbite text surrounded by lots of white space on the page. Page counts got shorter as they published shorter and fewer articles.
It then began the self licking ice cream cone as less content led to fewer subscribers which led to lower income which led to cost cutting measures which led to lower content quality which led to .... another lap around the drain. All this began before social media came on the scene. Same thing if you look at the shows we all loved on PBS that are either gone or shadows of themselves.
When it comes to shows, there are now amateurs with basic equipment doing a better job than big budget productions.
Whether it's woodworking shows, fishing shows, outdoor magazines, or woodworking magazines, it all comes down to quality product. Social media isn't the cause. But may provide an alternative solution.
The problem with "magazines" isn't that they are print but content. This is something I've observed over the last 20-25 years, before social media took over the world. It started when editorial "style" and "format" began taking the place of quality content. First saw it ins some magazines my wife was getting as they started playing with graphics and fonts on the page to look fancy. But didn't say much. Then watched it creep into everything outdoor sports magazines to hobbies to woodworking. Articles and word count got shorter, with more blocks of soundbite text surrounded by lots of white space on the page. Page counts got shorter as they published shorter and fewer articles.
It then began the self licking ice cream cone as less content led to fewer subscribers which led to lower income which led to cost cutting measures which led to lower content quality which led to .... another lap around the drain. All this began before social media came on the scene. Same thing if you look at the shows we all loved on PBS that are either gone or shadows of themselves.
When it comes to shows, there are now amateurs with basic equipment doing a better job than big budget productions.
Whether it's woodworking shows, fishing shows, outdoor magazines, or woodworking magazines, it all comes down to quality product. Social media isn't the cause. But may provide an alternative solution.