Women's Magazines

Magazines have been a popular media source for women, both historically and in modern times. They have not only provided enjoyment and relaxation for their female readers, but have also supplied useful information to women throughout the decades, including health information, relationship advice, and cultural recommendations. Popular genres include fashion, lifestyle, and fitness publications, with an increasing diversification into niche markets such as bridal, pregnancy, beauty, ethnic, celebrity, food, and parenting titles. Women have been active in both the mainstream and independent magazine markets. In fact, the magazine industry within the United States and Britain is the only media industry in which women have dominated-and continue to dominate-as media producers, including in powerful positions like senior editors, art directors, and publishers.

The beginning of the 21st century continues to see magazines as popular among women, although the advent of the Internet has meant that many women have shifted their reading practices to include online magazines and publications. Most major print publications have corresponding online homes where readers are encouraged to visit and participate in more interactive elements, like message boards, quizzes, and polls. Additionally, other media companies have sought to attract new women readers with comprehensive online “destinations” that cover a host of “women's interest” topics. An example of this type of online magazine is iVillage, which is owned by American media giant NBC and covers topics including health, entertainment, parenting, and home/gardening.

One genre of women's magazine that has flourished in the past decade is the celebrity gossip magazine. While not exclusively read by women, the publications that fall into this genre, including American titles such as US Weekly, Star, InTouch Weekly, and People magazine, and well as British titles like Hello!, primarily market to women and include traditionally “feminine” topics such as fashion and beauty sections. The rise of the celebrity gossip magazine is often credited to Canadian media executive Bonnie Fuller, who successfully refashioned Us Weekly in 2002 from sagging circulation figures, followed by another well-received transition of Star from tabloid to glossy in 2004.

While the reasons for the continuing success of this genre in the United States as other types of magazines are faced with shrinking profits is unclear, it seems as though a revitalized interest in celebrities in general and the ease in which women can “zone out” with these magazines may be contributing to their popularity both at the newsstand and online.

The content of women's magazines has shifted dramatically throughout the decades, reflecting the changing roles and status of women within their respective societies. For example, in the 1950s, American women's service magazine Ladies’ Home Journal focused on teaching women how to be good housewives, offering instruction on proper meal preparation and cleaning tips. Feminists eventually targeted the publication, conducting a sit-in at the magazine's offices in March 1970, demanding the redirection of the editorial policy to be more supportive of feminism.

Some American women's magazines, such as Cosmopolitan, became known during this time for promoting women's sexual agency, although Ms. magazine was the only publication that explicitly embraced a feminist agenda. Thus, while magazines have changed with social norms, there is still debate as to whether mainstream women's magazines are indeed “feminist.” While most contemporary women's lifestyle magazines, such as Glamour or Marie Claire, will incorporate feminist ideas into their publications, such as the importance of women having a fulfilling career or celebrating women's achievements in public life, most magazines steer clear of adopting the feminist label.

...