New Books Network Jeff Jarvis, "Magazine" (Bloomsbury, 2023)
Jan 2, 2026
Jeff Jarvis, an experienced journalist and media professor known for founding Entertainment Weekly, discusses his new book, Magazine. He explores the historical significance of magazines in shaping culture and taste, sharing insights on their evolution from coffeehouse discourse to advertising-driven models. Jeff highlights how the internet disrupted traditional magazine economics and reflects on missed opportunities for magazines to build community. He also predicts a future for niche print and shares his upcoming project advocating for a nuanced defense of the internet.
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From Newsrooms To Launching Entertainment Weekly
- Jeff Jarvis recounts leaving newspapers for magazines and launching Entertainment Weekly after working at People and Time Inc.
- He describes buying magazines by the pound and physically cherishing them, which motivated the book.
Magazines Created Public Conversation
- Early magazines like Addison and Steele's fostered coffeehouse conversation and a public sphere.
- Magazines helped create national discourse and distinct language in early America.
Technology Enabled Curatorial Magazines
- Mechanization and cheap wood-pulp paper around 1850 enabled mass magazine publishing.
- Harper's aimed to curate the best periodical literature and shape American culture.