The Atlantic is expanding its print magazine as it surpasses 1 million subscribers
By Brian Stelter, CNN
New York (CNN) — The Atlantic is doing something exceedingly unusual for a magazine in 2024: increasing the number of issues it prints.
The acclaimed 167-year-old magazine, once known as The Atlantic Monthly, is increasing its pace of publication from 10 issues to 12, returning to a monthly publication for the first time since 2002.
The expansion plan – perhaps counterintuitive in the internet age, when so many other magazines and newspapers are printing less often or folding altogether – is a testament to “the excellent journalism our team makes, and the enduring power of a beautifully designed, well produced magazine,” editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg told CNN in an interview.
The Atlantic, which is majority owned by billionaire businesswoman and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, returned to profitability earlier this year and said it had crossed the one million subscriptions mark.
Nearly half of those subscribers receive both the print and digital editions of the magazine, and Goldberg has been eager to expand its print frequency.
“We want to meet our readers where they are, and our readers love the print magazine,” he said.
Print publications have some timeless qualities, he pointed out, and some unique attributes in a world dizzy with screens.
“The greatness of print and especially a print magazine is that it sits still for you,” Goldberg said. “It doesn’t beep and flash and demand that you do things. It’s there to be read and enjoyed. People still derive intellectual and aesthetic pleasure from print.”
It’s an everything-old-is-new-again finding that also explains the continued success of some books, luxury magazines and literary journals.
The Atlantic’s expansion also comes at a grim time for news organizations, many of which have been forced to make painful cutbacks as their legacy business models collapse in the digital age. Amid declining social media referrals and television ratings, news outlets have scrambled to erect new subscription products as a lifeline.
“I’ve never believed that resting on our laurels was an option, for more than a long weekend,” Goldberg told The Atlantic’s staff in a memo. “We have a crucial mission, and we are in an unforgiving business, and so we have to continue to grow and innovate and outpace the competition each day.”
Still, increasing the print cycle is an unusual move. Goldberg said it appeals not just to subscribers, but also to The Atlantic’s writers, many of whom still value appearing in print.
Goldberg also announced some expansions to the reporting staff, particularly in health coverage and “the intersection of national defense, technology, and global conflict.”
“My hope is that The Atlantic becomes the premier destination for readers in search of education and illumination in these areas,” Goldberg told staff.
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