Magazine Audience

In the simplest terms, the 2004 presidential race was good for the opinion journals. After a few years of big changes, drops and rises in circulation, the world of the opinion magazines, things seem to have stabilized and are even looking up. After years of decline, including a precipitous decline in 2003, the New Republic has seen a small climb, from 61,124 to 61,129, according to publisher’s statements — its audit report for 2004 was not available at the time of this report’s writing.

Whether this marks a turnaround for the title, which had seen declines since 1999 (when its circulation was over 100,000), remains to be seen. In an arena that thrives on taking a side, the New Republic has moved back toward the left in the past few years, becoming more critical of the Republican administration. This content change may have helped.

Circulation of Leading Opinion Magazines

1988 - 2004

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Source: Audit Bureau of Circulation, annual audit reports and publisher’s statements

Two of magazines experiencing growth suggest that in the current climate a hard-line voice carries appeal.

The Nation with its strong leftward tilt grew again in 2004, climbing from 160,029 to 173,473, keeping it the No. 1 opinion journal in circulation, according to audit reports. The title has come a long way since 2000, when it had about 96,000 subscribers, and is now reportedly profitable. Its top editor, Victor Navaksy, who had been with the magazine since 1978, moved on this year to focus more on other work, including his job as chairman of the Columbia Journalism Review. (Navasky, now publisher emeritus at The Nation, also volunteers as a reader for this study).

National Review’s reliable rightward slant hasn’t hurt it over time, either. But its circulation dropped slightly in 2004, going from 156,157 to 155,271, according to audit reports. The magazine’s circulation is still down from its high in 1996, during the heart of the Clinton presidency, when it was over 200,000.22

The biggest trend in the numbers may not be about any single title, however, but about the numbers of the left-leaning publications. As we have noted in past years, the journals supporting the political party or point of view that is out of power often do better than the ones supporting those in power. This norm may be re-establishing itself.

But early publisher statements from 2005 indicate that all the titles we examine were seeing growing circulation at that point. If those figures turn out to be verified in audit reports, they may suggest that the country is entering a more political phase again, one where at least part of the public is engaged in the national policy debate. The Nation and National Review seem to be seeing the biggest growth, so the ideological battle may be joined with ready fervor from both sides. In an age of information overload, perhaps well-reasoned opinion magazines that help citizens put news in some order have an enduring appeal. In a sense, it is the oldest kind of journalism enduring — literate, text-heavy interpretation and debate.