magazines

Writing for the Jan. 9 issue of Business Week, media columnist Jon Fine has a five-point plan for "the daily paper of tomorrow." Four of his initiatives already are in operation at a number of daily newspapers, but then, as William Gibson said, the future is already here -- it's just unevenly distributed. The other one -- "cut off your rivals' oxygen" -- is a good way to earn yourself a federal antitrust intervention, if we still have a government that cares about enforcing business laws. Don't miss the feedback on Fine's blog.

I liked Fine's reference to Reiman Publications, a remarkable Wisconsin-based group of glossy "rural life" magazines that are packed with contributions from readers and supported entirely through subscription fees (no ads). Reading a Reiman publication is like joining a neighborhood club, and the magazines have a fiercely loyal following that would be the envy of any beleaguered newspaper circulation director. Participative journalism, pre-web.