In the news: Just how many magazine impressions are print and how many are digital?

In recent issues, we have covered digital magazine almost exclusively because there has been a dearth of noteworthy industry news regarding print. But last week, research group GfK MRI released the results of its magazine audience survey, and the results suggest that, at least for the time being, print is still the preferred medium.

According to GfK MRI's findings, digital-only readers account for just 11 percent of magazine readers. This means, obviously, that an overwhelming majority of magazine readers are still reading print. The total magazine audience is 1.578 billion, and the print-only audience accounts for 1.278 billion of those readers. Another 135 million consume both print and digital magazine content. The survey involved 26,000 U.S. participants. Read more about the findings here.

Also Notable

Does Free Content Pay Off?

Magazine publishers continue to offer up free online content in hopes of attracting more revenue. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal opened up its paywalled content to readers for a day in hopes of attracting new online subscribers. Some believe that WSJ's real motive is to boost their November visitor numbers so that they can present them to advertisers later. Others wonder just how many new digital subscriptions this tactic will draw. Read more here.

More on Free Content

Some magazine industry executives are convinced that free content is not the way to go. According to John Loughlin, executive vice president and general manager of Hearst magazines, "We are at a critical juncture for magazine publishers to reassert value of content, and that value needs to be paid for." He questions the practice of offering free digital copies of magazines to print subscribers, as it devalues the very digital content most magazines are trying to monetize. Read more of Loughlin's comments here.

Staff Shakeups at Newsbeast

Last week saw major staff changes at Newsweek/The Daily Beast. Politico.com reports that "the publisher was let go and the managing editor and executive editor resigned." Newsweek and The Daily Beast joined forces just one year ago in a high-profile merger. Read more about the staff changes and what they may mean for Newsbeast here.

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