MAGAZINE MEDIA FACTBOOK
From its founding in 1919, MPA has been the primary voice for magazine media publishers and brands that inspire, educate, and entertain readers. Today, MPA represents over 500 magazine media brands that span a vast range of genres across online, mobile, video and print media. MPA advocates for the magazine media industry’s efforts to provide professionally researched and edited content across multiple channels.
Magazine publishers maintain a unique relationship of trust with readers, demonstrated by the strong engagement magazine brands enjoy across print, web, mobile, video, social media and other platforms. According to the Edelman Trust Barometer, traditional media, including magazines, are the most trusted media source for news and information. These attributes are among the many benefits magazine media offers to advertisers who wish to connect with passionate and influential readers.
For over 25 years, the MPA has published the Magazine Media Factbook - one of the most widely sourced and relied upon tools in our industry. The Factbook features noteworthy research, useful statistics and compelling facts that articulate the unique scope of, and consumer trust in, magazine media and its effectiveness compared to other media. This year we are particularly grateful to Mri-simmons, who took up the mantle of coordinating content across multiple contributors, compiling the data and trends on magazine readership and engagement, and showcasing the results in this year’s Factbook.
The latest edition of MPA’S Factbook reinforces the vitality of the industry. The brand audience across platforms for magazine media continues to grow, up 6.6% in 2019 versus the prior year to 1.5 billion. The average audience of the top three magazine publishers is competitive with the average audience for Google, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple. Magazines are read by a diverse group of readers, on virtually every topic, throughout the year. The total number of print consumer magazines remains strong and print remains the primary way readers subscribe to magazine media content. Last year alone, 139 new print magazine brands were launched to appeal to a broad range of reader interests. At the same time, magazine media brands continue to expand their reach with compelling content shared via video and mobile web, platforms that are enjoying robust growth. Magazine media subscribers are willing to pay for compelling content from their favorite magazine brands across multiple channels. The magazine media industry is also a major contributor to the economy. The industry has more than 82,000 direct employees across the United States and is responsible for a total of more than 240,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs in the U.S. economy. The magazine publishing industry accounts for more than $48 billion in output across a wide range of industries annually.
As COVID-19 impacts public health and the economy and disrupts lives across the globe, readers are increasingly turning to magazine media as they navigate these challenges. The full impact of COVID-19 on businesses and society remains to be seen. As the needs and interests of consumers evolve, magazine media publishers are sure to be there with carefully researched and edited news, information, culture, and lifestyle content that matters to their daily lives.
Brigitte Schmidt Gwyn President and CEO, MPA – The Association of Magazine Media