Key Concepts

F Definition of magazine
F Characteristics of magazines
F Difference between a newspaper
and a magazine
F Basics of magazine writing
F Magazine writing styles
F History of magazines
F Types of magazines
F Content of magazine
F Future of magazines

Significant Learning Outcomes

The learner will be able to:
discover the characteristics of magazines
compare the difference between a newspaper and a magazine
write a magazine article
discuss various magazine writing styles
identify the contents of a magazine
identify the trends in magazines
 HSS - II - Journalism

A daily newspaper which brings you news and views every

24 hours remains fresh only for a short period of time. Your
reading appetite slowly vanishes after the first read and
you may not touch it again for a serious analytical reading
because we have the radio, television, internet, social
network etc. with us throughout the day. They constantly
inform us the happenings of the day with text, pictures and
sound no matter where we are or what we are doing.
Unlike newspapers, a magazine never reports daily news.
But we flip through its pages almost every day and re-read
the contents till the next issue of the magazine reaches us.
Sometimes we refer the select contents many times for
several months as it documents information which is
valuable and relevant over a period of time.
Magazines deal with socio-cultural and political issues more
deeply than daily newspapers. They have a special feel and
mission and exhibit even an overall special tone. The
magazines are generally read more attentively during leisure
time. Its language and style of presentation is quite different
from newspapers. The variety and richness of the content,
its social focus and visionary perspectives are more valued
by the readers. The success of a magazine is based on
intelligent observation, imagination and consistency in
articulating the views on all matters of public life.
We have already studied in detail news writing and editing
in the previous year. Are there any significant differences
between magazine writing and newspaper writing? What
are the different types of magazines available in the market?
What are the common contents in magazines? We shall
attempt to answer some of these questions in this chapter.

What is a magazine?
A magazine is a publication that is issued periodically. It generally
contains essays, stories, poems, articles, fiction, recipes, images
etc. Magazines are directed at general and special audience, often
published on a weekly or monthly basis.
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 Writing for Magazines

We know that the word "magazine" is derived from Arabic word

makhazin or "storehouse," which contains a collection of facts
and fiction, all bundled together in one package. Gentlemen's
Magazine, founded in 1731 is considered as the world's first
magazine. Then we had The Economist, Collier's, The Saturday
Evening Post, National Geographic, Time, The New Yorker,
Life, People etc. In the present age of the tablet and social media,
the idea of a "magazine" is returning to its storehouse roots.
Functionally, a magazine still represents the idea of a bunch of
thematically-related content put together as one package.
A magazine can also be considered as a cabinet of curiosities; i.e.
a display case in which interesting, unusual and occasionally
'eccentric' objects are collected and displayed as a conversation
piece or an expression of the writer's wide-ranging interests or
tastes. The readers are treated with a fascinating, mind-expanding
and unique set of wonders they had never dreamt of.
Characteristics of magazines
While popular magazines provide broad overviews of topics,
scholarly journals provide in-depth analysis of topics and report
the findings of research, and trade magazines report on industry
trends, new products or techniques. A popular magazine which
caters to the general public uses non-technical language. The
contents of these magazines include interviews, general interest
articles and various types of features. They usually cover a wide
range of topics based on research, source comments and
generalizations. Articles are usually written by a staff writer or a
journalist; in some cases, interesting articles of freelancers are also
encouraged. They generally contain many interesting and sometimes
sensuous photographs to attract readers. In general, magazine
articles are easy to read, fairly brief in length, and may include
illustrations or photographs.
Magazines don't necessarily follow a specific format or structure
in writing the articles. Its attractive appearance, eye-catching cover
pictures and illustrations on quality paper make it more appealing

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 HSS - II - Journalism

to the reading public. Magazines also contain many colourful and

impressive advertisements.
Difference between newspaper and
magazine
Newspapers and magazines are two important forms of print media
that are read by millions of people around the world. Some of the
most common differences between newspapers and magazines
can be seen through their size and appearance, content, style, target
audience, design and layout, readability and advertisements. Let
us have a glance through these factors:
Size and appearance
Newspapers are bigger in size and they can be folded. A story
above the middle fold in the front page of a newspaper is
considered as the most important story and one that appears just
below the fold is generally the second most important story. If
there are many important stories on a newspaper page, then the
treatment given to a story will decide its importance: such as,
photos/graphics with a more important story and with no visual
elements in other stories. The eyes of a reader can scan an entire
page without a fold. A magazine tends to have a "book-type" size
while the newspaper is really meant to be spread arms length for
the reader to grasp its contents.
Content
Newspapers deal with reports clearly, briefly and objectively. A
magazine writer focuses on specialized topics and current issues
of public interest.
Newspapers remain the primary source of authentic, reliable and
latest information about what is happening around the world and
even in one's own locality. But magazines are not sources of fresh
content to the extent of publishing breaking news. However, its
content is specialized and recent in nature. Thus, we have various
magazines such as entertainment, science, share markets, sports,
glamour and movies. Newspapers are more versatile in content
and hence they never fall short of content as there is always

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 Writing for Magazines

something happening in different parts of the world. On the other

hand, magazine content is always based on the liking of the readers
of diverse backgrounds.
Style
Newspapers focus on catchy headlines to create interest in the
reader. Many reporters and editors are employed in newspapers
to prepare specialized reports and interpretative articles. But
magazines have lesser staff. A magazine writer has more freedom
to express or has more room for subjectivity. S/he has the tenacity
and freedom to express things in a creative manner. It further
enhances the writer's mastery of the expression by imploring these
seemingly circular methods of self expression. The newspaper
writer on the other hand is compounded to a somewhat strict,
strong and straight writing mostly based on facts and figures.
Design and layout
Newspapers are known for their simple layout and design. While
the content is usually in black and white, the style and font are
fairly consistent throughout. Magazines have much more visual
expression than newspapers because magazines are not subject
to one consistent layout. Magazines use lots of colour, different
types and sizes of fonts and break up their articles with images
and colour.

Target audience
The main difference between a newspaper and a magazine is that
newspapers are written for a general audience, while magazines
are for specific types of audiences.
A magazine attracts varied target audience. A newspaper's target
audience is determined by its geography and its focus is broad.
Here, the editor determines what the people should read, what
they want and desire. In contrast, a magazine' target audience is
determined by demographics and interests. ('Demographics' mean
the physical characteristics of the individual such as race, gender,
interest, education level etc.). Hence the target audience of a
magazine is usually separated geographically, but they share
common interests; for example, a common interest in sports,

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 HSS - II - Journalism

fashion or beauty. A magazine editor should understand the nature

of the target audience.
Readability
News stories are usually written in a matter of fact style. But
magazines employ colourful language so as to make the content
enjoyable. The newspaper readability level corresponds to a
difficult classification built around tight grammatical and syntactical
rules. Linguistic subjectivity which relies on expressive adjectives
enhances the readability of magazines.
Display ads
Though magazines and newspapers both provide readers with
information, their format and appeal differ considerably. Magazines
are more advertiser-driven than newspapers. Newspapers are
slightly different in this regard. Newspapers are driven more by
readership than by advertisers. They focus more on catchy
headlines in an effort to capture the reader's interest and get him
to read the entire story. Part of the reason for this is that people
often associate what they read with an ad they see near the piece.
Our minds just naturally attach and group objects and associations
together. Advertising giants know this and place their ads exactly
in proper alignment with stories and articles they want to associate
with their products on those specialized magazines.
Visual strength
The visual strength of magazine is enhanced with the effective use
of colour in magazines. In magazines, we can also use a colour
background whereas newspapers normally have only a white
background. This means you can present more attractive colour
contrasts in your magazine visuals.
Shelf life
Another strength of magazine is longer life. Newspapers are read
only once and then discarded. In contrast, magazines are commonly
kept for several days, weeks or months in magazine racks which
provides for possible repeat reading.

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 Writing for Magazines

Magazines use some of the highest-quality paper and ink to produce

a visually appealing product meant to be kept and read longer
than a newspaper. Magazines tend to focus on entertainment
pieces, provide how-to-do articles and features about certain
subjects within their chosen marketing niche. Magazines also have
advertisements taking up large amounts of page space to balance
the cost of production.
Let us do
Prepare a write-up of about 300 words on the
characteristics of your favourite magazine.

Check Your Progress

? Define magazine.
? How does a magazine differ from a newspaper in its size
and appearance?
? What are the factors that influence the readability of a
magazine?

Basics of magazine writing

The joy of magazine writing lies in its variety. Anything from a
celebrity interview to a food recipe can be the topic for magazine
articles and this variety demands versatality. Coverage of events
for magazines offers challenges as well as opportunities to
journalists. A creative flair and innovative skill may help in producing
masterpieces and also in creating an everlasting impression on the
reader's mind. The language used depends, to a certain extent,
on the objective of the magazine. Literary style is generally preferred
by the magazine press. Thus magazine writing requires a different
way of thinking, writing and structuring.
Effective magazine writing is accessible, interesting, lively, colourful,
grabbing and relevant. Whatever be the type of publication a
journalist writes for, the basic approach is the same: write for your
readers. However, good writing for magazines depends on the
adherence to some well known guidelines. Though there are not
many lengthy rules, there are guidelines a magazine writer should

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 HSS - II - Journalism

follow to produce a stylish copy. The most important among them

can be summarized as follows:
Know whom you are writing for, their interests and concerns.
Know what you want to say and achieve.
Always prefer the concrete to the abstract.
Be accurate and readable.
Have an attention grabbing intro.
Spend considerable time thinking about fresh ways to ap-
proach the subject.
Keep materials and sentences short.
Promote a vibrant style.
Know the publication's editorial policy to achieve your di-
rection.
Magazine writers often develop a strongly personal style that is
opinionated, anecdotal and gossipy while developing the content.
The quality of the content and style are equally important. The
word play and tricks of style make the piece entertaining to read.
How to structure a magazine article
As soon as you're ready to write a magazine article, you need to
think about structure. With magazine articles, you can move beyond
the inverted pyramid style of news by scattering important points
throughout the article.
Tell a story
The important thing to remember is that you're telling a story to
your readers. That means you need a beginning, a middle and an
end. It also means you need to think about where you're taking
your reader and create a logical path to that end point.
The beginning
To get people to read your article, you need to find a way to grab
them. For example, you can begin an article with a quote or an
anecdote from a person's life. However, you can also set the scene
or use anything that will attract the reader's attention.

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 Writing for Magazines

The middle
With most magazine articles, you talk to a person or people. People
like reading about other people, so if your interviewee says
something good, use a quote rather than the reported speech.
This makes your magazine article more interesting.
The ending
Finally, end with a bang. This could be in the form of an important
point, a revelation or another anecdote or quote. The idea is to
satisfy your reader and to get that reader interested in your other
writings as well.
Extra credit
When you do research for an article, you often have information
left over that didn't make it into the main piece. Don't get rid of
this. Use it to create a sidebar or table (editors will love this), or as
the starting point for another article.
Magazine writing styles
Readers are primarily interested in what you have to say.
Depending on the way in which you say it may encourage them
either to read on or to give up the piece.
Writing style is always personal; it is your own. Like your signature,
it is unique and distinct. Writing style reveals the writer's personality
or voice. The aims and objectives of the magazine are clearly
reflected in the style of writing. The potential readership of
magazines also determines the style. The specialized magazines
have their own unique style of writing and presentation depending
on the above discussed criteria.
Let us now discuss some of the common styles used by the
magazines in their presentation of articles.
Narrative writing
Narratives are works that provide an account of connected events.
In a narrative style, you'll need to tell a story in such a way that the
audience learns a lesson or gains an insight. Narrative writing is a

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 HSS - II - Journalism

type of writing in which the author places himself as the character

and leads you to the story. Here, being a narrative, a story or
event is told through characters and dialogues. Narrative writing
has definite and logical beginnings, intervals and endings. Narrative
writing uses many literary techniques to provide deeper meaning
for the reader and it also helps the reader use his / her imagination
to visualize situations. Literary techniques include metaphors,
similes, personification, imagery, hyperbole, alliteration, back story,
flashback, flash-forward, foreshadowing and narrative perspective
or point of view. It also makes use of literary elements such as
setting, plot, theme, characters, style/structure, perspective, voice
etc. since literary techniques are best understood in the context of
one of these elements. Figurative language is a common element
in narrative writing.
Serialised narrative writing
In this style you cannot find out what's going to happen next. You
have to wait. Here the writer really understands how to hold a
reader by his/her side and make them stick on with the piece till
the end. That's the skill absolutely essential for this style of writing.
The first and most essential quality of a serial narrative is that it has
to be immensely, intensely and inescapably readable. They should
have a powerful pull on all readers with the power of a delicious
sense of enforced writing. The writer can also make use of dialogues
in this style to convey the real emotional spirit, if necessary. One
of the reasons for a serial narrative's power is that the plot unfolds
gradually because it is unfolding the rhythms of life. The writing
should end with something that makes the reader feel it wasn't a
waste of time.
Descriptive writing
Descriptive writing focuses on describing a character, an event or
a place in great details. It is sometimes poetic in nature in which
the author is specifying the details of the event rather than just the
information of that event. In a descriptive style, the writer needs to
describe a person, object or event so vividly that the reader feels
like s/he could reach out and touch it. The writer attempts to convey

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 Writing for Magazines

as many of the senses related to the subject as possible for a

clearer understanding of what is being described. Descriptive
writing has a unique power and appeal, as it evokes sensory
description through sights, smells, sounds, textures and tastes
through the text to your reader. Hence word choice in descriptive
writing is critical. Each word must be critically evaluated to see if
it contributes to the overall description. Therefore, this style tends
to use more adjectives and adverbs, as well as figurative language
and imagery to create details that allow the readers to envision the
scenery and events in their minds.
Persuasive writing
This writing revolves around convincing someone. Persuasion
requires great skill and effort to convince your readers to endorse
your opinion or viewpoint. You write with the sole objective of
persuading your readers. Persuasive writing utilizes the power of
words to confidently and passionately convey a very important
matter. Such writings are usually written with precision and
authority.
Persuasive texts are set out to argue and prove a case by presenting
ideas that follow in logical progression. It aims to convince a
targeted audience of the validity of a viewpoint on an issue by
presenting logical arguments. Anticipating and answering possible
objections or opposing arguments, all types of persuasive writings
should present well researched evidence to support the case and
also provide facts from authorities to prove or disapprove an
argument. The most common forms of persuasive texts include
essays, editorials, letters to the editor, opinion articles, feature
articles, interviews, speeches and submissions.
Imaginative writing
Imaginative writings present ideas, issues and arguments in an
imaginative and credible way through description, characters,
settings, figurative language, the five senses, etc. An imaginative
writing assumes the form of fiction, specifically of short story.
Depending on the idea, the imaginative article can discuss anything
from space travel to civil rights. Because of this wide variation,

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 HSS - II - Journalism

some imaginative pieces require a very serious response, while

others invite a much more light-hearted, fantastic one. Usually,
imaginative write-ups start with a hypothetical situation and ask
how you would respond to it. It should be credible and plausible
and must convey information through description and figurative
language. Add sensory details and realistic conversation. Also
include imaginary interactions with the characters. The characters
should be dynamic in nature and they should see things differently
or act differently by the end of the story. Narrate and describe
events, characters and situations. For an imaginative writing, you
will not have to use formal language, but you need to show your
mastery of writing.
Visual writing
Visual writing is a good language for story telling in any medium. It
focuses on the mind, distinctive details from the intricately
interconnected experiences of the individual. Visual writing creates
depth, quality and pacing. Visual style isn't an extension of the
writing, but it has to be embedded into the writing in a way that the
reader may not even be aware of its presence. This means visual
style is not about adding more but enriching an already existing
text. Visual communication engages meaningful experiences and
feelings within individuals through richly embedded image symbols
which are conveyed either directly through text or indirectly through
other senses. One aspect of visual language is that it is a fluid
language and it spontaneously convey meanings. Another aspect
of visual language is the composition of images used and the scenes
it creates. A third aspect of visual language is dialogue which uses
words that invoke images. The dialogue creates movement in the
story.
Multiple inverted pyramid
In the field of magazine journalism, the term 'multiple inverted
pyramid approach' refers to a style of writing which informs and
entertains the readers through self-sufficiently built plots of
information, each of which may be arranged in the form of an
inverted pyramid. The fact is that the idea of the whole story is

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 Writing for Magazines

spilled in the first paragraph itself. The reader can decide whether
to continue reading the details or to go into something else. But
even if the reader stops at a certain point, this form of writing may
provide some essential facts to the readers.
Let us do
The best magazine style is one which is accessible, lively,
colourful, grabbing and relevant. Is this statement true in
your opinion regarding the various writing styles? Divide
the class into seven groups and ask each group to give a
presentation on the basis of the above mentioned seven
magazine writing styles.

Check Your Progress

? Differentiate narrative writing and serialized narrative writ-
ing.
? What are the techniques involved in visual writing style?
? How is multiple inverted pyramid style used in magazine
writing?

History of magazines
Now a days, it seems that magazines shape our lives, telling us
what to wear, what to eat and what to think about. Although this is
the age of the internet, we continue to enjoy magazines, admire
their pages, photos, illustrations and headlines. This popularity is
due to the fact that magazines cater to all sorts of interests and
passions. Most magazines look more or less the same at first
glance, but they target different audiences.
The 1700s ushered in a time of increased literacy and intellectual
development among the society in Europe. Thus the hunger for
knowledge enabled magazines to become a popular cultural staple.
Early periodicals were so expensive that only the wealthy could
afford them. As a result, early publications were geared toward
the most learned, cultured and sophisticated individuals of the day.

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 HSS - II - Journalism

English printers produced three essay periodicals that set the stage
for modern magazines: Daniel Defoe's The Review (published in
1704); Sir Richard Steele's The Tatler (published in 1709); and
Addison and Steele's The Spectator (published in 1711). Since
the periodicals were published several times a week, they
resembled our modern newspapers. However, their content was
more similar to that of modern magazines.
In 1731, an Englishman named Edward Cave edited a
periodical called The Gentleman's Magazine. Cave's
goal was to create a magazine that the general public
would be interested in. His publication contained
everything from essays and poems to stories and political
musings. Cave achieved two noteworthy
accomplishments: he coined the term "magazine," and
he was the first publisher to successfully fashion a wide-
ranging publication.
After realizing that colourful sketches and illustrations
contributed to magazine sales in 1842, British news agent
Herbert Ingram created the first illustrated magazine The
Illustrated London News filled with dozens of woodcut
Fig 1.1 designs. This magazine also earned the distinction of being
the first to incorporate photos. Magazines became incredibly
popular in America by the end of the 18th century. At that time,
there were more than 100 magazines in the United States. Some
of the most influential early American magazines were The
Pennsylvania Magazine and The Massachusetts Magazine.
By the 1830s, however, less expensive magazines aimed at the
general public began to emerge. Rather than maintaining the
intellectual air of their predecessors, these magazines focused on
amusement and entertainment. The magazine market throughout
the world increased exponentially in the late 1800s, due to increased
literacy. As a result, magazines became more specialized.
Periodicals were created specifically for lawyers, artists, musicians
and other professionals. Literary review magazines became popular
during the 1800s.

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 Writing for Magazines

Magazines in India
The journalistic revolution in India came from the magazine sector.
In the Indian magazine scenario, general interest magazines are
flourishing and the special interest magazines are growing in number.
The first breakthrough in Indian magazine industry was made by
Stardust which ended the old fan-magazine culture of film
journalism and introduced bright, witty, celebrity journalism to India.
The second breakthrough, India Today was India's first successful
attempt at quality, up-market serious journalism. It was well-
produced, well-written and covered politics and social trends with
style and panache. Niche magazines on lifestyle, travel, education
and automobile have established themselves in India. Today, India
has become a glorious store house of both general interest and
specialised magazines which include Outlook, Frontline, Femina,
Competition Success Review and Vanitha that have been quite
successful in catching the attention and imagination of people.
Magazines in Malayalam
The first printed magazine in the Malayalam language - the
Jnananikshepam - was published from Central Travancore in
1848. Archdeacon Koshy and Rev. George Mathen were behind
the eight-page magazine which served the cause of propagation
of religion and the dissemination of knowledge. Another Kottayam-
based periodical which made its appearance around this time was
the Vidyasamgraham brought out under the auspices of the
Kottayam CMS College in 1864. This magazine started in 1864
had the credit of the first college magazine in Kerala. From then
onwards, a magazine culture had evolved in Kerala with a set
formula: sensational news features, serialized novels, short stories
and film gossips. Some of the popular weeklies in Malayalam such
as Mangalam and Malayala Manorama have exceeded the
million mark in circulation baffling the conventional magazine
publishers.The other major Malayalam periodicals include
Mathrubhumi weekly, Madhyamam weekly, Kala Kaumudi,
Dhanam, Samakalika Malayalam weekly etc.

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 HSS - II - Journalism

The Illustrated Weekly of India

The Illustrated Weekly of India was an English language weekly
newsmagazine. It started publication in 1880 (as Times of India Weekly
Edition, later renamed as The Illustrated Weekly of India in 1923) and ceased
publication in 1993. Also simply known as Weekly by its readership, The
Illustrated Weekly of India was considered to be an important English
language publication in India for over a century. The
magazine was edited by A.S. Raman, Khushwant Singh,
M. V. Kamath, and Pritish Nandy. A.S. Raman was the
first Indian editor of The Illustrated Weekly of India,
succeeding Sean Mandy. Khushwant Singh who was
then a sub-editor of the magazine took over as editor
upon Raman's departure. Cartoons in the latter half of
the magazine were by R.K.Laxman and Mario Miranda. Fig 1.2

Types of magazines
Today, there are thousands of magazines worldwide. They inspire,
inform, educate and entertain audiences across the globe. Nearly
600 years after the advent of the printing press, magazines continue
to change the nature of things throughout the world. The major
categories of magazines are briefly explained below:
1. General interest magazines
This type of magazine is published for a wider audience to provide
information, in a general manner and the focus is on many different
subjects.The main purpose of a general interest magazine is to
provide information for the general audience. No background
knowledge or expertise is assumed. Articles usually provide a
broad coverage of topics of current interest. They are written by
journalists, freelance writers or staff correspondents of the
magazine. These periodicals may be quite attractive in appearance,
with articles often heavily illustrated with photographs. The language
of these publications is geared to any educated audience. There is
no specially assumed target audience. Mere interest and a certain

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level of intelligence is only required to read and enjoy such

magazines. These are usually published by commercial enterprises,
though some are published by professional organizations. Examples
of general interest periodicals are: Time, Newsweek, Outlook,
India Today and The Week.
2. Special interest magazines
Special interest publications are magazines directed at specific
groups of readers with common interests. Most special interest
magazines cater to any specific interests or pursuits. For instance,
there are magazines that cover sports, news, fashion, business,
music and so on. While some attempt to cover all aspects of a
broad subject, others are concerned only with a particular
element of the general subject. Sports Illustrated, for example,
contains stories on practically any sport, but Golf Digest carries
only stories related to golf. Other special interest publications
find their audiences through different demographic segmentations.
There are magazines published primarily for men (Field and
Stream, Gentlemen's Quarterly (GQ), etc.), women (Woman's
World, Grihalekshmi, Vanitha etc.), boys (Boys' Life) and girls
(Teen Vogue). Specialized periodicals also serve most professions,
industries and organizations.
Specialist magazines have been growing in recent years, not only
in terms of the number of readers, but also in the increasing number
of consumer advertisers who have seen the benefits of the medium.
Circulation varies for a special interest magazine. But, even though
the circulation is small, it is usually stable over the short term and
offers an advertiser a well-defined market. Obviously, for a
specialist product, there is no better place to advertise than in a
magazine which concerns itself directly with the product area, such
as gardening or photography.
We can categorize some special interest magazines into the
following genres based on their content and target audience:

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 HSS - II - Journalism

a. Farm magazines
These are magazines featuring news and information pertaining to the
agricultural sector. It is a resource for farmers and vendors of farmers' markets.
There are various farm magazines that contain information about various
farming equipment, farming practices, ideas and technology suitable to small
and big farms, raising unusual livestock, growing high-value crops, direct
marketing of their products to bring in more income, the latest techniques for
growing bountiful, nutritious crops and many more articles that could provide
information to the farmers who are their target audience. They also share the
success stories of artisans and farmers, on government policies and
programmes and also about how to promote their business by reaching new
customers and develop value-added products.

b. Sports magazines
A sports magazine usually features articles or segments
on sports comprising of many photographic images and
illustrations. Some magazines concentrate on all general
sports news and related issues while others concentrate
on specific sports or games such as football, baseball,
athletics etc. But the common aim of any sports magazine
is to take fans inside the game and provide a mix of
columns, features, profiles of their favourite players, scores,
statistics and analysis of the game. News and information
Fig 1.3 about sports, reviews, interviews, expert advice, player
profiles, season previews, predictions and pre-game analysis as
well as quality photos are some of the main ingredients in a sports
magazine.

c. Business magazines
Most of these magazines are dedicated to the dissemination of information
related to particular business areas like accounting, banking, finance,
international business, management, marketing and sales, real estate, small
business etc. They explore latest news and reviews on current trends in the
world of business. Business magazines offer readers an unparalleled look at
business and economic news, with incomparable access to business drivers
around the globe. It also provides the most recent news about trends and
developments in global business, financial markets and personal finance.

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 Writing for Magazines

d. Environmental magazines
The aim of this type of magazine is to provide information
about environmental issues and to share ideas about our
very diverse and dynamic environment so that readers can
live more sustainable lives and connect themselves to ideas
and ongoing efforts for change, as well as for building a
more just and sustainable future. They cover everything
environmental - from the big issues like climate change,
renewable energy, toxins and health to the topics that directly
impact the readers' daily lives: population, poverty,
consumption and the environment in general. In-depth Fig 1.4
reviews of major policy reports, conferences, environmental
education initiatives, environmental reports and photos from around
the world with an emphasis on human involvement in an
environmentally changed scenario are some of the highlighted
features of environmental magazines.
e. Entertainment magazines
Entertainment magazines are usually glossy in nature and provide
entertainment. They usually carry news, original stories, scandals, gossips
and exclusives about celebrities in various entertainment fields such as film,
music, TV, fashion and related similar areas of the industry. Cultural criticism,
beauty, lifestyle trends and shopping guides also find expression in such
magazines. As its main focus is on celebrity fashion or lifestyle, it is graphically
rich in nature, featuring many photographs or other images.
f. Automobile magazines
Automobile magazines offer a rich and varied examination of the
automotive universe in all its forms, illustrated with vibrant
photography. They present interesting automotive news in
the industry and celebrate the automotive lifestyle and its
personalities, past and present. It also offers insights into
emerging trends in the industry and also creates images of
whatever comes next in the written and visual form. Updates
in motor vehicle arena such as newly arrived cars and bikes,
contemporary style of vehicles, recommendations to buyers,
reviews of newly launched vehicles are some of the attractive
elements in these magazines. Fig 1.5

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 HSS - II - Journalism

g. Children's magazines
The main aim of children's magazines is to engage children to learn new
things through entertainment and to provide memories that last a lifetime.
The content is delivered through colourful images, read-aloud stories and
various fun activities that both the parent as well as the child can enjoy together.
Children's magazines are designed to set young children on the path to become
curious, creative, caring, confident individuals through reading, thinking and
learning with a wide variety of stories, puzzles, crafts, games and activities.
3D children's magazines are now on sale in Kerala.
h. Women's magazines
Women's magazines play a variety of roles as educator, family counsellor,
beauty specialist and life style expert. Women's magazines, on many
occasions, have become an arena for debate and promotion of education
for women. The personal nature of the content also makes it a unique material
specifically for women. The gorgeous photographs, engaging designs and
innovative styles make them attractive. The outlook of a women's magazine
is an intelligent perspective that is focused on personal style - the way women
actually look, think and dress. They reflect the spirit of today's woman -
changing with the times, moving with trends, styles and fashion.
i. Men's magazines
Men's magazines bring the latest style tips, travel guides, lifestyle improvement,
offering advice and information useful to men on a variety of topics including
money, health, sports, cars, adventure, politics and so on. Men's magazines
use masculinity as a marketing tool.

j. Literary magazines
A literary magazine devoted to literature, usually publishes short stories,
poetry, essays, literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of
authors, interviews and any content related to literature. Its aim is to promote
literature, encompass an overall sense of the word, preserve indigenous
literature and provide a platform for creative writers through its articles.

We can also include several other types of magazines in the special interest magazine
genre. Magazines on architecture, art, computer, customer, film, health, history, horror
fiction, luxury, music, political issues, public relations, satire, science fiction, shelter,
trade, wildlife etc. are some among them.

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 Writing for Magazines

Little Magazine
The term "little magazine" can be applied to a range of
different publications, but usually it is used to suggest a
literary magazine produced without concern for immediate
commercial gain and with a guiding enthusiasm for
contemporary literature, especially poetry. It publishes
experimental and non-conformist writings of relatively
unknown writers. A little magazine may champion work by
Fig 1.6 a very small number of authors or a particular style, or
attempt to provide a cross-section of what its editor sees as the contemporary
scene. They are usually non commercial in their outlook.

Let us do
Collect copies of Indian and international magazines.
Categorize the magazines based on their content.

Check Your Progress

? State the differences between general interest and special
interest magazines.
? Name two children's magazines in Malayalam.
? .. is an example for sports magazine.
? Who are the target audience of business magazines?

Content of magazines
The value of magazines depends on reader trust, which in turn, is
built on the basis of content delivery. Hence editorial integrity must
not be compromised at any circumstance and maximum
consideration must be given to achieving variety in content.
Let us analyse some of the varied contents that build up a magazine:
a. Cover story
The cover story is the beacon in any magazine. It may refer to a
story in a magazine whose subject matter appears on its front

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 HSS - II - Journalism

cover. The cover page quite often carries stunning headlines to

facilitate a compulsive buying of the magazine. If the content does
not come up to the expectations of the buyer, the magazine will
not survive long. The cover story ought to be well-written and it
should contain solid documentation, ample details and illustrative
examples in smooth and clear prose.

Photograph of Sharbat Gula

The portrait of an unknown girl taken by Steve McCurry
turned out to be one of those images that sear the heart.
It ran on the cover of the National Geographic magazine
in June 1985. Her eyes are sea green. They are haunted
and you can read the tragedy of
Afghanistan, a land drained by
war in those eyes. She became
known as the "Afghan girl," and
for 17 years no one knew her
name. She is Sharbat Gula,
belonging to one of the Afghan
tribes called Pashtun.When Steve
met Sharbat in 2002 to take her
portrait again; no one, not even The portrait of Sharbat Gula published in the
cover page of National Geographic
she was not sure about her age. in 1985 (left) and in 2002 (right)
He guessed she must be 30 then. Fig 1.7
Time and hardship have erased her youth. The second meeting between the
woman with green eyes and the photographer was quiet. Married women in
her tribe strictly follow certain cultural traditions. So she did not smile at
Steve. Her expression, he said, was flat. She cannot understand how her
picture has touched so many. She does not know the power of her eyes.

b. Editorial
The magazine editor sums up the week's events or recalls the most
important event for editorial topic. Magazine editorials give opinions
on important contemporary social, political, economic, or legal
issues and intend to persuade readers to agree to a particular point
of view. Thus an editorial is more about opinions than facts.

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 Writing for Magazines

c. Articles
A magazine article is a piece of nonfiction writing targeted for a
specific interest group. The first paragraph is a creative beginning
which captures the reader's interest and hence it must be interesting.
The second part is the middle of the story. It includes the main
points on how the writer has approached the subject and also
gives the writer's personal expertise and opinion related to the
topic. The final paragraph, the ending, should bring the article to a
satisfying resolution from the reader's point of view.
d. Features
Feature stories are articles that have human-interest and focus on
particular people, places and events. Feature stories are
descriptive, colorful, thoughtful, reflective pieces of journalistic
writing about original ideas.
Structure of a feature
A feature article takes a specific format and outline. There will
always be a title, introduction, body of the story and a conclusion.
The title of the article should grab the reader's attention quickly to
keep them reading. It should highlight the general topic of the story.
The introduction of the story is contained in the first few paragraphs
of the article. It should provide whatever background information
is relevant to the story and should create a relationship between
the writer and the reader.
The body of the feature should be broken into pieces with
subheadings for easy organization. This section has most of the
details of the story. It includes names, places, time and quotes
from those interviewed. The opinions of the writer, those at the
location of the story and from experts of the subject are presented
in the body of the article. Pictures, diagrams and charts that
illustrate the story would also be included.
The conclusion should leave a lasting impression on the reader
and provoke some sort of reaction. The conclusion should prompt
an immediate response from the reader or encourage him / her to
shift his / her stand on a particular issue.

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 HSS - II - Journalism

Types of features
Profiles or personality features
A profile is a type of feature story that usually focuses on the
personality of an individual on what is important or interesting about
that person. Although profiles are usually of people, (a celebrity
profile for example), a journalist can also profile an entity, like a
sports team or a company. Generally, the person and his/her
achievements is the focus of the article. Profiles reveal an
individual's character and lifestyle and exposes different facets of
the subject so that readers feel they know the person. It is simply
a word sketch drawn in a creative manner. The word 'profile'
comes from 'profilare', meaning 'one side of the face'.
Historical features
These features commemorate important dates in history or turning
points in our social, political and cultural life. They offer a useful
juxtaposition of then and now. Historical features take the reader
back to revisit an event and the issues surrounding it.
Objectivity and neutrality should be your aim at all times when
conducting research and crafting a historical feature. You should
aim at reporting the facts and nothing else.
News features
A news feature is a kind of feature story that focuses on a hard
news topic. News features combine a feature writing style with
hard news reporting. News features typically try to shed light on
problems in our society. What is expected of a news feature is a
narrow, focused topic that can be covered reasonably well in a
limited space. It thoroughly explores an issue through research,
statistical data and most importantly, interviews with news sources.
Human interest features
Human interest is hard to define. The best known kind of feature
story is the human interest story that discusses issues through the
experiences of another. Human interest features are those that
involve a reader emotionally, stimulating or depressing him/her,

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 Writing for Magazines

angering or amusing him/her and awakening sympathy or distaste.

A human interest story may emphasise relationships, drama,
conflict, or oddity. Such features can be written about almost
anything - persons, places, animals and objects. However, it is
more personal and intimate, than being objective.
Let us do
Prepare the following features to be published in your school
magazine:
a. Profile of a famous personality.
b. Human interest piece from your locality.
c. News feature about the school re-opening function.
d. Historical feature about place of importance in your
locality.

Columns
Columns, which are essentially opinion pieces, represent the strong,
informed and focused opinion of the writer on an issue of relevance.
Knowing how to present a strong point of view is an important
skill for any column writer. It has a clearly defined point of view
and represents clarity of thinking. Columns contain the strong,
unique voice of the writer. To write a good column requires more
than just the ability to articulate an opinion. The opinions must
make sense, provide insight and be convincing.
Reviews
A review provides critical assessment, factual information and also
it should describe the work and express an opinion about it. A
review in a magazine is an evaluation of an art form like film, drama,
musical productions or a newly published book. There are no
rules about the structuring of a review. It is important to justify the
reviewer's assertions with illustrations, explanations or arguments.
Format your review by writing down your personal feel about the
work and also write about the positives and negatives of the work.
Essays
It is a short literary composition on a particular theme or subject,
usually in prose and generally analytical, speculative or
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 HSS - II - Journalism

interpretative. Essays are written compositions about anything. In

terms of writing, you need only to create a handful of original
sentences for the entire essay: a thesis, a theme, a mini-thesis that
begins each paragraph and a concluding sentence that says what
it all means.
Photo features
A photo feature is also known as photo essay. It is a set or series
of photographs that propose to tell a story. The true spirit of what
defines a photo feature is the capture of an exceptional moment
within a common, everyday occurrence. A photo feature simply
captures nice moments within a cultural environment or a happening
that illustrates the quality of life in some sense. Photo features shall
consist of pictures or sequences with informative content and
emotional impact, including human interest, documentary and spot
Let us do news.

Prepare a photo feature on an important event.

Attempt to write a review of a film you have seen recently.
Write a column on any of the current issues.
Prepare an essay on 'clean campus'.

Check Your Progress

? What is the importance of cover stories in magazines?
? Describe the steps involved in making a photo feature?
? What is a profile?

Practicals for External Assessment

Writing various types of feature stories such as profiles, human
interest features, columns, reviews, essays etc.
Preparing a photo feature (Production work)
Pasting models of various types of features with brief descriptions
of their peculiarities in the scrap book

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 Writing for Magazines

Future of magazines in the digital era

Increased competition, penetration of online and e-formats and
cross media ownership negatively affect the print media sector.
News magazines join the market regularly and the existing ones
disappear for want of readers, lack of finance or due to take overs.
This tendency is called 'magazine churn'. Advertising revenue (much
more than circulation revenue) seals the fate of most consumer
magazines. The shift of advertising revenue to the web is the biggest
problem faced by broad-circulation magazines today. While they
are becoming increasingly adept at generating revenue from their
web sites, web-only publishing models substitute print magazines.
Therefore, digital magazines are set to grow fast over the next
several years in the magazine industry as publishers begin to enter
the digital arena.
Mobile phones which are becoming popular will be the dominant
platform of the future with a booming number of magazine
consumers on mobile. Its exclusive in-house technology captures
the growing mobile user base by redefining the reading experience
on mobile and tablet platforms which will rely on a competitive
monthly subscription model to access the world's best titles. Those
tablets will have apps that are incredibly immersive, including
magazine apps, which will take advantage of people's social graphs,
location data and other features to offer a more interactive
experience.

Let us sum up
Magazines may be referred to as popular press publications with
articles written by journalists or freelancers, who gather information
from various sources and synthesize it into their stories or reports.
The audience for articles in magazines is the special target group
from the general public.
Magazines are generally intended to inform or entertain readers
on general interest topics in broad subject areas. It is slick and
glossy in appearance and contains photographs and illustrations,
published at regular intervals. People who subscribe to magazines

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 HSS - II - Journalism

read it at their convenience. Magazines are more advertiser-driven

than newspapers.
A magazine article is a piece of nonfiction writing targeted at a
specific interest group. It is possible to write a good magazine
article through a strong interest and a willingness to learn through
research and interviews. The reader's attention has to be grabbed
with an arresting opening paragraph. Keep the theme in mind as
you write the body of the article. Everything you write should
support the theme. The ending of a magazine feature should bring
the piece to a satisfying resolution for the reader. Clear thinking is
the key to good writing. A magazine usually expresses its content
in various styles - narrative, serialized narrative, persuasive, visual,
imaginative or in multiple inverted pyramids.
Most magazines look more or less the same at first glance, but
they target different audiences. Based on target audience and
content specialization, there are various types of magazines such
as general interest magazines, special interest magazines,
entertainment magazines, farm magazines, sports magazines and
children's magazines.
Putting together a magazine content determines the style of your
magazine. Magazine is generally built around humorous anecdotes,
fiction, news reports, exclusive interviews or any combination of
genres in the form of cover stories, editorials, articles and various
types of features.
In the present age of tablets and social media the idea of a
"magazine" is returning to its storehouse roots. The future of
magazines will be in the hands of digital publishers who would
provide endless opportunities to craft experiences with magazine
apps. Functionally, a magazine still represents the idea of a bunch
of thematically related content put together as one package. Great
magazines also contain a magical spark, which means a magazine
is something more than the mere contents.

Let us assess
1. State the major characteristics that make magazines the
favourite medium for advertisers.

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 Writing for Magazines

2. Do you think that each magazine has its own style of writing?
Elaborate the answer on the basis of the different writing styles
adopted by magazines?
3. Which is the first college magazine in Kerala?
a. Jnananikshepam b. Vidyasamgraham
c. Bhashaposhini d. Vivekodayam
4. . is an automobile magazine published
in India.
5. Your school has decided to publish a campus magazine. As a
member of its editorial team, state your suggestions on the
contents to be included.
6. 'Profile tells you what a person is'. State the idea conveyed
by this statement.
7. Tablets and mobile phones are the future determinants of
magazine culture. Evaluate this statement on the basis of the
future trends in the magazine industry.

Extended Activity
Collect cover pages of interesting cover stories and prepare
a picture album.

Reference
1. Summer, David E and H.G Miller (2006), Feature and
Magazine Writing, New Delhi, Surjeet Publication.
2. Nelson, Roy Paul (1978), Articles and Features, New York,
Houghton Mifflin co.
3. McKay, Jenny (2000), The Magazine Handbook, London,
Routledge.
4. Dick, Jill (2004), Writing for Magazines, New Delhi, Unistar
Books.
5. Aggarwal,Vir Bala and V.S.Gupta (2001), Handbook of
Journalism and Mass Communication, New Delhi,
Concept Publishing Company.
6. Benson, Christopher D. & Charles F. Whitaker (2014),
Magazine Writing, New York, Routledge.

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 HSS - II - Journalism

Glossary
Citation A citation is a reference or footnote to an item (such as a
book or periodical article); a citation contains the author,
title, date of publication, and any other information needed
to locate the item
Cover lines Information about major articles given on the front page
of a magazine
Centre spread Middle two pages of a stapled magazine. Often sold to
premium advertisers or used as an editorial feature
Complementary copy Free copy of a magazine sent to potential advertisers,
the press or editorial contributors
Cover-wrap Extra cover wrapped around a magazine, usually for
advertising purposes. Rare until 2006 in magazines
Issue All the copies of a periodical with the same cover date
and distributed at the same time
Journal A type of periodical which contains signed scholarly
articles. Journals are usually published by academic or
association presses and include bibliographies
Sidebar A text that accompanies a feature story, usually framed
at the side of the page
Trade Magazine or A magazine published specifically for an industry, business,
Trade Publication service, technical, scientific or trade audience. Also called
"business to business" or "specialized business magazine"
e-zine A magazine that is available on the Internet

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