An ode to the Magazine…the one you can touch

In the most recent issue of Fast Company (the one that gets delivered to your door, or that thing you pick up at the doctor’s office), we are given an inside look at what makes Facebook so successful. The pages are wide, the photos flashy, and the cover has just the right texture to sustain the wear and tear of folding, bending, and throwing. In addition, the text is informative and inspiring. Zuckerberg, who has made millions, is still reading to learn more and not repeat the mistakes of the past.  For the politicial enthusiasts, Evan Osnos captures the power of Richard Daley in  a recent  New Yorker article. The March 8th issue of Sports Illustrated features reporting from Alexander Wolff, who tells a heartbreaking story of a US Soccer Player killed by Poppa Doc’s militia in Haiti.  As David Halberstam, another great magazine writer, pointed out in a Sporting News article from 1994, “sports has been an excellent window through which to monitor changes in the rest of the society.” And there is no better place to read about this change than in a magazine…the one you can touch.

Our generation, despite the claims that we can only do things, if we can type it, search it and click it, also like breaks from the internet. The magazines above have been around for years, and provide news and commentary to millions of people around the world. Many of them recently teamed up to advertise together and show the world that companies are still spending money on having access to the readers of offline magazine subscriptions. It is refreshing to see that the giants of the industry are still succeeding, but can new magazines and journals exist?

Michu Benaim, one of the editors of the new Gopher Illustrated believes in magazines so much, she started one. Benaim, a University of North Carolina alum from Caracas, has used Kickstarter to validate her belief. The website allows Gopher to feature a pitch  video and then a description of what they will use funds for, and also what users will receive in return if they sponsor their project. It is a great way to build the brand and identify an initial market. Aware of the power of social media, Benaim also interviews the founder of Kickstarter for her online version. As Kickstarter grows in popularity, those seeking information about the website, will also find Benaim’s magazine. Her publication, which has roots in Caracas, Chapel Hill and London will feature essays, short stories, investigative journalism, and stickers. Benaim believes a magazine is attractive because it can be enjoyed “leisurely,” and be: “somewhat informative.”  Gopher Illustrated, which plans to release its first issue in April, will be sold at independent bookstores in the US and the UK and is also seeking subscribers. While the magazine experience will be tangible and interactive, something to hold in your hand, and blank pages to fill with stickers, it will also provide the intellectual experience readers crave, exposure to something we would like to know, but have not yet discovered.

If you still don’t believe  that offline magazines are still relevant to Gen Y, just continue to browse through the Kickstarter website. There is a new journal about food recipes, “Remedy Quarterly,” that seeks funding for its second issue. The design is sleek and artistic and fits pefectly in your kitchen where you can use it for cooking, or on your coffee table, where it can be used to impress people. The internet can be a powerful tool to share  information and increase the readership base for these startups, but we still want the offline magazine…the one you can touch.