For the past 87 years, Reader’s Digest has been a prominent general-interest family magazine intended to appeal to the broad American public. In an effort to revamp and reorganize its image and survive the changing media landscape, Reader’s Digest announced it will shift to a more conservative focus and will increase its coverage of inspiring spiritual stories.
According to Tom Rosenstiel, director of the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, print and broadcast outlets are working hard to distinguish themselves as the Internet continues to play a key role in educating consumers on a variety of topics. “Magazines and cable channels are trying to figure out what they can add to the mix if people already have the basic facts from the Internet and elsewhere.”
As circulation numbers at print publications continue to decline, many magazines are looking for ways to differentiate their content in order to survive. Reader’s Digest’s circulation has decreased from 8 million to approximately 5.5 million over the past couple of years and the publication has decided to reduce its frequency to 10 times a year instead of 12. Mary Berner, president and chief executive of the publication told the New York Times it will focus on more conservative values to target a market that’s been largely ignored, but is incredibly powerful, and says it will also consider increasing the amount of spiritual content. By making these changes, the publication hopes to reach a more niche audience and ensure a thriving future for the magazine.
In addition, Reader’s Digest plans to partner with Rick Warren, an evangelical pastor, on a project called the Purpose Driven Connection. Subscribers will receive a quarterly magazine with religious workbooks and DVDs featuring Rick as well as a membership to a social networking Web site which will provide prayer tips each week.
This is an interesting shift and one we’ll likely continue to see given the current economic climate and shifting media landscape. More niche publications will certainly give way to new opportunities for organizations looking to reach specific niche audiences; however, the reduction of general interest media with large circulations will no doubt further influence where consumers go to get their information. Will consumers commit to reading several niche publications a day to get the information that’s most meaningful to them or will they still crave a catch-all outlet that gives them a little bit of everything?