Independent Magazine Revamp

The Independent Magazine is to be given a new look from this Saturday with an emphasis on a younger and sprightlier tone. While parts of the old magazine will remain intact it will be given a new package with several new editorial areas.

The Magazine’s editor, John Walsh, says “Altogether we will be offering a package of high seriousness and classy mischief that I hope will be irresistible. We will not be plunging downmarket or dealing in lifestyle journalism, we’ll be simply offering the readers a great deal more to get their teeth into than before with a new top-dressing of fancy design.”

The new look will include larger and more dramatic headlines, essays by star writers on abstract subjects and a section called Back Bites containing amusing newsy items.

The revamp follows hot on the heels of the Times Magazine launch which is aimed at attracting younger readers. The Independent Magazine already has the youngest age profile of all the supplements with 64% of its readers falling into the 15-44 age group (NRS Jan-Dec’92). The other Saturday supplement to be monitored by the NRS, the Telegraph Magazine, has a profile of 39% for this age group.

Newspaper Publishing may be hoping that tomorrow’s changes will increase the female readership profile of the magazine. Women currently account for 42% of all the magazine readers, this is by far the lowest profile of all the national newspaper supplements. The Telegraph Magazine has a female profile of 50% and the Observer Magazine a profile of 46%.

Newspaper Publishing: 071 253 1222