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Will Magazines #DeleteFacebook?

Posted on Thursday, March 29, 2018 at 12:19 AM

In the news: The #DeleteFacebook movement is gaining steam, and one prominent magazine brand has jumped aboard. Will other magazines follow suit?

The recent Facebook/Cambridge Analytica data scandal has prompted many notable Facebook account deletions, including innovator Elon Musk and actor Will Ferrell.

Now, a magazine brand is joining the movement: This week, Playboy announced that it was deleting its Facebook account in response to the scandal. Per Thomas Ricker of TheVerge.com, Playboy's official statement reads, in part: "There are more than 25 million fans who engage with Playboy via our various Facebook pages, and we do not want to be complicit in exposing them to the reported practices." (Note: The magazine still has an account on Instagram, which is also owned by Facebook.)

The statement raises ethical questions for magazines at a time when they are more reliant on social media than ever. Facebook has long been a hub for content sharing and audience development, but now the platform must rebuild trust with individuals and companies whose data was breached. Will other magazines join the #DeleteFacebook movement in the future? Read more here.

Also Notable

How Food Magazines Are Making Print Work

This week, the New York Times examined newer print food magazines, discussing their respective missions and challenges. Titles mentioned include Toothache, Whetstone, and Ambrosia. Writes Tejal Rao of NYTimes.com: "Many of these publications are beautiful and inviting, with ink-saturated pages filled with original art, and nuanced, complex stories you want to spend time digesting. Their cover prices are fittingly high, with many around $20, and a few don't even bother to post their content online, focusing entirely on print." Read more here.

A Post–"Pivot to Video" World

"What's next for video, now that the pivot to video is dead?" asks a recent Foliomag.com headline. Last year saw many writers and editors laid off in favor of video development and production staff. For some magazines, video content is proving profitable; for others, the hard strategic pivot yielded anemic results. Really, assesses Folio:'s staff, it's "far from video's final inning." It's simply too soon to tell whether video is a "panacea" or a "placebo." Read more here.

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