There’s One Magazine I Pay For: Wired

My friends know I’m a book snob. I love hardcover books. There’s nothing like the crack of a virgin spine and the scent of a crisp page with fresh ink on it. A new book feels always feels like a present to me… and it’s mine, all mine!

I’m working on my hardcover snobbishness, though! I can’t help but feel guilty at all the books that are piling up around my apartment that deserve to be read by others who aren’t so willing to cough up the hardcover price. I’ll get there, I promise. In a week or so, I’m going to run a contest and give away a box of unread hardcovers… still in their plastic. Stick around!

Anyways… as much as I love the feel of paper, I stopped reading newspapers years ago. I was speaking to John Ketzenberger, a Star Business reporter (pun intended) about it a week or so ago. I stopped buying the newspaper when journalism changed from the product to the filler between the advertisements.

I stopped buying newspapers when newspapers started advertising how many coupons the Sunday edition had instead of how many news stories they’d uncovered. It still saddens me. If it weren’t for John’s column, I’m not sure I’d ever even read The Indianapolis Star online, either.

There’s still one print publication that I can’t wait to unwrap and break open, though… and that’s Wired Magazine. I stopped subscribing years ago when they shifted to big pictures, small print… but the last couple of years have been incredible. No more artsy fluff – every article is a page turner. There are very few editions that I don’t devour from cover to cover. I read back the last year and even noticed I blog about Wired articles once every 2 to 3 months.

This Month’s Wired Magazine:

Since these articles are now online, I’d really challenge you to read these articles. If your day is filled with reading blog posts and you’re one of those folks that wonders why we need journalists anymore, any one of these articles should change your mind. The care and writing put into each of these articles jumps off the page… er… screen.

When I think about how much I pay for a good hardcover book, and how much Wired Magazine costs – I wonder why I don’t pay more for my subscription. There’s not a single magazine on the market that captures my attention and reports heavily on the technology sector as well as Wired.

I can’t wait until next month’s Wired!

http://thebloggersource.com The Blogger Source

I myself do love Wired but have had an on again off again relationship. I’m currently reading it.
http://thesuccessfulgeek.com Adam Teece

Wired is the only one that I have stuck with as well. I am a gamer though and have gotten Game Informer over the last 2 years or so, but that’s only because it comes with the Game Stop discount card.
http://www.inmedialog.com Francis Moran

Regular readers of our blog (www.inmedialog.com) will know that we are passionate supporters of excellence in journalism no matter the format. I sympathise with those who must suffer a second- or third-rate home-town daily newspaper; that’s certainly the case here in Ottawa, Canada, where the local rag is an abysmal case of corporate media ownership racing to the bottom.

We are fortunate, however, in that we have a superb national daily newspaper, the Globe and Mail, that lands on my doorstep early every morning. It has been front-to-back required reading in my life for the more than 25 years it has been available. It ranks as one of the very best English-language newspapers in the world.

Reading the Globe every day leaves me with about as much time for other periodicals as your self-confessed hard-back addiction, Douglas, but I share your affection for Wired. It has become my number one technology magazine since Business 2.0 went under. (You can read my obit for 2.0 here: http://inmedialog.com/index.php/archives/a-business-20-titan-bows-out/) It has more of the gadget-and-geek stuff and less of the business beat to it than 2.0, but the writing is outstanding, the features are usually well-researched and thoughtful and by the time I’m finished with it, every issue has several page corners bent back to remind me to check further into whatever was written about on that page.

We get scores of magazines delivered to our tech-focused PR agency every week; Wired is the only one staff are ordered must be put on my desk as soon as it arrives.

http://marketingtechblog.com Douglas Karr

Hi Francis,

I got to work with The Globe and Mail about 5 or 6 years ago and agree with your assessment. The Globe, at the time, was very concerned about reaching the right audience… not just reaching whomever might buy the paper. They avoided discounting as well – all of this provided the newspaper with much more perceived value. The Globe and Mail may surpass the Wall Street Journal as the best business newspaper in the world. It’s a great paper and a great organization!

Thanks for adding to the conversation!
Doug

Marketing Technology Blog

There’s One Magazine I Pay For: Wired

This Month’s Wired Magazine:

About Douglas Karr