1. Magazine Institution
L.O.
1) To understand what you will be
learning for Section B of the exam
2) Begin to consider what the
future of the magazine industry is

2. Magazine Institution
• To succeed in this section of the Key Media
Concepts exam you need to develop a case study on
two music magazines published by two institutions
within the contemporary magazine industry and
distributed in the UK.
• The focus will be on how this magazine is produced,
distributed (promoted and sold in print format and
online), exhibited and consumed (subscribed to,
purchased or downloaded). The important of
advertising will be a major feature.

3. 2x Comparative Case Studies
• In order to get high ,arks for this exam you will
need to be able to compare a mainstream
magazine with a niche magazine:
• Mainstream = IPC Media- ‘NME’
• Niche = Future PLC - ‘METAL HAMMER’
• This will allow you to produce a comprehensive
comparison between how larger and smaller
institutions work - this is suggested as a
beneficial approach by examiners

4. What Will We Learn?
• Digital Media
• Synergy
• Cross Media Ownership
• Convergence
• The impact of Media Technologies
• Audience Consumption - habits and market trends
• Magazines in the online age – online presence
• Growth of competition through twitter and blogs, challenging gossip
magazines
• Globalisation
• The challenges of the magazine industry
• Regulation
• Distribution
• Production
• The future of the magazines industry

5. Example of Possible
questions
• How important is technological convergence
for institutions and audiences?
• With reference to your chosen case study
consider how important interactivity is to
media institutions?
• What has the impact of increased
connectivity been on the media production,
distribution and exhibition process?

6. So…what is the future of
magazines?
• Before looking into the two magazines in
detail, you need to really understand the
impact of the changing media landscape, and
the impact this is having on the magazine
industry…
• Once you have you considered this you will
approach the case studies with a much
broader understanding and critical eye…

7. So…
• You need to produce a creative presentation discussing what you
believe to be the future of magazines…you must not simply copy
what other people have said… you need to research this topic in
detail and come to your own conclusions using your findings
(quotes, statistics, audience research findings) as support…
• It is up to you how you present this; but try to use media
technologies in creative ways
• I have given you some links to support you but you are also required
to do some independent research
• N.B You must not plagiaries!

8. The Future of Magazines
1. Do they have a future both as a product as well as online?
2. How have audience habits changed when consuming media?
3. What has been the impact of this change on the magazine industry
(production, exhibition, distribution and consumption)?
4. How are audience’s habits going to change the way in which magazines are
consumed, produced, distributed today?
5. What do audiences think of magazines? (do they trust them? How do they
use them? What do they like/dislike about them?)
6. Have circulation figures dropped/increased?
7. What about the impact of advertising? (this is a fundamental aspect to the
magazine industry…how will advertising influence its future?)
8. In your opinion what is the future of the magazine industry?

9. Support
• http://www.slideshare.net/samfarrand/teenage-magazine-market-overview
• http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2009/jan/05/magazine-industry-publishing-recession
• http://www.slideshare.net/SBakker/future-of-magazineshttp://www.slideshare.net/SBakker/future-of-magazines
• http://www.slideshare.net/belair1981/why-magazines-are-different
• http://www.slideshare.net/jdojc/how-magazines-can-survive-the-digital-age
• http://www.alexa.com/ - collects data on internet browsing so this can be sent to company so they
can understand how their consumers are using their sites (time spent on site etc)
• http://www.abc.org.uk/Data/ReportProductPicker.aspx?ttid=89 - will give you circulation figures
for your magazine
• http://www.nrs.co.uk/toplinereadership.html - will give you some great information on demographic
profiling of your magazine
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmGSfVo2NUw&feature=related – statistics for magazine
consumption
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JefdzMQ4pws&feature=related – the future of print magazines?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gel9C85vZWM&feature=related – Wired magazine; excellent
example of online magazine development