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Are Magazines Suffering Too?

Thursday, December 11, 2008

At a time when newspapers across the country are struggling, how are magazines doing? We talk to journalists Jeanne Marie Laskas and Vanessa Grigoriadis about what it’s like to write for magazines these days. Both are included in the new anthology Best American Magazine Writing of 2008.

Guests:

Vanessa Grigoriadis and Jeanne Marie Laskas

Comments [11]

Luna from Brooklyn

What was the blog that they mentioned repeatedly?

Dec. 11 2008 12:57 PM
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Lauren Starke from New York magazine PR dept

In addition to the in-house library Katie mentions, NY mag is participating in Google's magazine archive project, so you can peruse our first 30 years here: http://books.google.com/books?id=OugCAAAAMBAJ&source=gbs_all_issues_r&cad=2_2&atm_aiy=1965#all_issues_anchor

The most recent 10 years are here: http://nymag.com/nymag/toc/2008/

Dec. 11 2008 12:56 PM
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Peter from Sunset Park

What’s the deal with magazines like the Economist not listing authors? I recently heard an interview with a writer who was introduced as writing both for the Economist and for the official Egyptian news agency service. If the Economist listed their authors , then readers could know if there was any conflict of interest in reporting.

Dec. 11 2008 12:49 PM
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Pamela Ross from NY

I knew of the name Joseph Mitchell but I could not remember why. I just did a quick Google search and within moments, the writer's sad, silent years came rushing back to mind. I can't imagine anything more painful than a bare, unwritten life.

Dec. 11 2008 12:38 PM
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Elisabeth from new york

I'm a senior at the New School, majoring in Journalism, and I can tell you from recent experience that a major part of our education is constantly reading current magazines as well as the important journalists of the past century, like Mitchell and Turkel and all the New Yorker crews, etc. We're a bit terrified about entering the field because, as your contributor said, there aren't many jobs.

Dec. 11 2008 12:31 PM
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Katie from New York Magazine Art Department

Hi Lenoard, Just fyi, New York Magazine still has a huge print edition library archive. In addition the online archives are completely massive.

Best,
Katie

Dec. 11 2008 12:30 PM
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Janet from Harlem from Harlem

Contrary to what Vanessa says, The Newhouse School as Syracuase has a fantastic magazine writing curriculum with a long-time and beloved professor Bill Glavin. The problem is his students get out and find it's just not valid as a profession anymore. So sad.

Dec. 11 2008 12:30 PM
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feh

It's sad to hear Leonard have to interview Grigoriades about Britney Spears. They must be holding a gun to his head.
I have nothing against Britney, I have something against a media that continues to feed the public news about someone who was pimped out by her own family at such a young age to the entertainment industry.
enough is enough.

Dec. 11 2008 12:25 PM
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AWM from UWS

Renee,

WeB LOG

Britney Spears?!!!

I'm gone, bye-bye!

Dec. 11 2008 12:23 PM
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Renee from Greenwich

Can someone tell me where the word BLOG comes from? Is it shorthand for something?

Dec. 11 2008 12:18 PM
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ginzberg from pittsburgh

Hey Leonard -

I teach journalism in Pittsburgh and I'm a Columbia J School grad. I sort of agree with Laskas that you don't talk about the marketplace, just focus on writing. However, if the issue comes up, you can't ignore it, especially at the grad school level. Columbia J school cranks out like 250 grads each year. Thousands more writers and journalists also hit the marketplace from other schools at the same time. At the same time, many universities are expanding their communications programs, which includes writing. But as we know, journalism jobs--at newspapers and magazines; see the headlines today about Newsweek--are drying up. Somebody needs a reality check.

Dec. 11 2008 12:16 PM
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