EARLY READERS NEEDED

The London Times reports that the teenage lifestyle magazine market is in "serious decline."

Roy Greenslade comments:

"Two days ago Emap Elan suspended publication of its celebrity gossip mag, Sneak.

The company's managing director, Dawn Bebe, said that Sneak was "no longer a viable proposition" because teenagers were now getting their showbiz news on the net.

The suspension follows Emap's closure six months ago of Smash Hits.

Another of its mags, Bliss, is expected to show a significant fall in sales, though its music title, Kerrang!, is thought to be doing very well.

Circulation falls are also expected by Hachette Filipacchi's market-leading Sugar and National Magazine's title CosmoGirl."

We said that this is very serious trend for print publications.

All this contradicts, anyway, the success of many smart kids publications.

The French experiment of Francois Dufour, founder of PlayBac Presse is a perfect example of what can be done.

His mini-publications are real news-papers.

About the real world.

Educational, fun and entertaining.

And well designed by Jeff Mignon.


Kids Discover in the USA is another example to follow.

In our recent report for the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), "Capturing and captivating Young Readers: 50 Editorial Strategies", its founder said that educational magazines like Kids Discover:

"Satisfies their naturtal curiosity, and makes it fun to learn about the world."

It is not just playing with the kids, but involve them in serious reading habits.

Newspapers and magazines around the world must work together in projects like these.

The WAN program for young readers is one this initiatives.

As Gavin K. O´Reilly, WAN President and COO of Independent News & Media, said in the foreword of our report:

"This report offers a valuable tool for that discussion. The ideas are there. It is time to take possession of our own fate with imagination, creativity, vitality and talent."