You may not believe this, but I read magazines. Granted, it’s a lot less than I used to, but I still love going into Montreal magazine stores like Multimags and seeing what’s new on the newsstand. I used to buy a lot more magazines, but I’ve scaled it back to Business 2.0, Fast Company, Wired and Seed. Without doubt, Business 2.0 is my favorite. I’ve had some challenges with it in the past little while – there have been some editorial changes and I haven’t felt like every issues has really clicked along, but I’m still loving it.
Imagine my dismay when I saw a Twitter post (or tweet) by Sebastien Provencher (friend and Blogger over at The Praized Blog) that Business 2.0 Magazine may stop publishing in September. The article, Ad Downturn Threatening The Survival Of Business 2.0, from the New York Times states:
“Business 2.0 magazine, a seven-year-old Time Inc. publication that covers start-ups, technology trends and changes in the new economy, might publish its final issue in September, according to people briefed on discussions about the fate of the magazine.
Though a reprieve is still possible, according to these people, executives at Time Inc., the nation’s largest magazine group, are threatening to shut down Business 2.0 in the midst of a sharp drop in advertising at the San Francisco-based magazine.
Advertising revenue at Business 2.0 was down 38 percent through July 9 of this year, according to the Magazine Publishers of America. The most recent issue on newsstands ran a scant 102 pages, although summer months are traditionally lean for magazines.”
I think there’s a lot more that Business 2.0 could be doing online to adjust the downturn in print advertising. I always wondered why their online presence was so bare considering the content of the magazine and the kind of readership it must attract?
If you love Business 2.0 like me, don’t go quietly. Provencher along with Colin Carmichael set up a Facebook Group called: I Read Business 2.0 – And I Want To Keep Reading!
It’s important – if you want to save this magazine – that you head over to Facebook and join the I Read Business 2.0 – And I Want To Keep Reading! Group. As of today, the group has been getting a steady flow of media attention including this article from Advertising Age: Can Fans Save Business 2.0?
UPDATE: Saturday, July 21st, 2007: The Save Business 2.0 Magazine Facebook group has close to two thousand members.