Arkansas Life halts amid slow economy
Arkansas Life, a quarterly lifestyle and culture magazine published by WEHCO Media Inc., owner of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, has halted publication, citing financial fallout from the pandemic.
The publication, established in 2008, began as a free high-society magazine for Arkansas Democrat-Gazette subscribers. It evolved over the years and underwent a full redesign in 2017, focusing more on news features and pieces that highlighted the best of what the state had to offer.
“Today, our hearts are breaking. Because today marks the last day of Arkansas Life,” staff members said in a social media post on Monday. The decision to shutter was a “financial necessity resulting from the current economic climate.”
As advertising revenue plummeted for newspapers and magazines, Arkansas Life struggled to be profitable for years and almost folded in January of 2019. After challenging readers to buy a $20 subscription, the monthly magazine secured enough subscribers and funds to carry on as a quarterly.
“This year’s virus-related problems proved too much to overcome,” Lynn Hamilton, president and general manager of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, said in an email Tuesday. “The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is making a lot of hard decisions these days in order to ensure the survival of our newspaper. The termination of Arkansas Life is one of them.”
Arkansas Life subscribers will receive refunds for any unused subscription amounts, according to the magazine.
Editor Jordan Hickey, who worked at Arkansas Life for some eight years, said the best part of working there was “knowing that it was constantly getting better.”
“There was a lot of work, and a lot of heart, that went into everything that we put into this magazine,” he said in an email Tuesday. “None of it would have been possible had it not been for the amazing people who’ve worked here over the years.”
He recognized Katie Bridges, former editor of Arkansas Life from 2012 to 2018, whose vision and guidance made the magazine what it was.
As for favorite stories, Hickey couldn’t pick just one. There was a full-issue dedicated to the Arkansas Delta, an investigative piece on C&H hog farm, a years-long feature on the struggle in Arkansas to separate Martin Luther King Day from Robert E. Lee Day and countless others, including those that showcased small businesses and life in the state.
“Although we have been very proud of Arkansas Life’s high quality content, it’s highly unlikely the magazine can be brought back,” Hamilton said when asked if the magazine would resurface in the future. “We’re disappointed and saddened. Our hearts go out to the publication’s hard working and talented staff.”
They include Hickey, Creative Director Emma Devine, Associate Editor Wyndham Wyeth and Photographer Arshia Khan.
“It’s been our greatest pleasure to share stories with you,” they said on social media. “To dig deep into The Natural State, as our mission statement reads, to show new facets of a familiar place, to celebrate the myriad reasons we are so proud to call this state home.
“Thank you so, so much for reading.”