Are SA magazines in trouble?

Veteran editor Raymond Louw said yesterday, 14 February 2010: “It appears that the starvation that hit US newspapers, resulting in falling advertising and circulation, is spreading to SA - though the condition is less severe than that experienced in the US.”

Louw noted that the decline in circulation throughout the print industry may in part be due to cover prices being perceived by readers to be too high, with the recession fuelling such thoughts.

“It is noted that The Citizen appears to think that its price (which was modest) was too high because it cut its weekday price.”

“It is sad to see a publication, especially one with such a long history, as Femina's, being forced to close.” (Femina's cover price is R28.50, up from R21.50 some 18 months ago.)

Femina's fate symptomatic of a more widespread malaise?

Louw believes Femina's desperate situation suggests that most magazines are feeling the pain. “However, it is too early to say that they are all in trouble and that more may succumb,” he said, adding that competition in the woman's magazine field is very intensive.

Femina publisher Liezl de Swardt was quoted as saying it was not a foregone conclusion that the publication will be closed down, but some insiders said there was no truth in De Swardt's statement, accusing the management of a cover-up.

Louw defended De Swardt, however, saying: “No, I don't think this is a front being raised. There would be no point. If the situation is irretrievable there would be no point in misinforming or raising false hopes among advertisers who are clients of their other publications, and such conduct could alienate them and harm the other publications.”

Lesley Cowling, senior lecturer at Wits University's School of Journalism, said: “It appears that Femina was losing readers, but we will know exactly by how much once the latest ABC figures are made public.

“It is not clear exactly why it lost readers, but I suspect there were a range of factors.

“The economic downturn meant that women who buy magazines might decide only to get one, and there are many competing titles, especially magazines like You on one hand, or fashion and glamour titles on the other.

Fierce competition

“Also, Femina is up against international titles that have local editions. These magazines are more competitive because of their ability to source articles and pictures from their sister titles, whereas Femina would have to generate everything itself.

“Another factor would have been a decline in advertising spend, which means that advertisers cannot spread their advertising across a range of titles, but must be more selective.

“A magazine that is losing readers is not a prospect.”

She said Femina has repositioned itself several times since becoming part of Media24 stable in 2006.

“It changed its focus to be an over-40s publication, and then changed again recently, obviously struggling to find its niche in a very competitive environment.

Cowling also said that all print titles have enormous competition now, from new titles, from blogging, and from social networking.

“Women's magazines, which are all about creating a conversation with the readers, a world in which they can feel comfortable and engaged, are particularly vulnerable to competition from Facebook and from blogs, where you can interact with "real people" and share everything from jokes and recipes to serious articles about climate change.

Tougher times ahead?

“The ‘sharing' on these sites is more immediate, always available, free, and more targeted to individual needs.

“However, Women's Health has just launched and appears to be doing well and Women and Home also seems to be doing okay. So there is still room for magazines. Trying to find the successful formula is the difficulty.”

William Bird, head of Media Monitoring Africa, said the decline in circulation probably means that the needs of its readers are not being met.

“Or more likely that as a result of the recent flourishing of magazine titles during the boom those readers found their needs elsewhere.”

Bird added: “I don't think SA magazines are in trouble but there is certainly going to be more contraction in the market as there were a whole range of new ones that appeared.

“I think times will get tougher particularly in the Media24 stable as closures have a ripple effect.”

Bird said Femina's predicament needs to be viewed in the context of the explosion of titles the country has seen over the last six years.

“When there is a downturn there will inevitably be closures. It is a pity though when one of the more established titles is one of the losers.”