The New York Review of Magazines

What Are You Reading?

Chris Fleisher and Carrie Giddins canvass politicos to see which magazines they rely on to stay up-to-date

For the past few years,NYRMhas asked writers and editors in the biz what they're reading in order to stay informed and on top of their game. But this election year, we decided to throw in a little twist. Instead of asking other writers and editors, we went to people in politics and asked them, "In this election year, what magazines are you reading and why?"

Kate Michelman president, NARAL Pro-Choice America: "THERE are four magazines that I read pretty regularly and religiously—The New Yorker, The Nation, The Atlantic and The American Prospect. The political philosophy of The Nation is one that I embrace. The New Yorker, I love Seymour Hersh; I love its "Talk of the Town;" I like its political pieces. The Atlantic just had two important articles on the war in Iraq by James Fallows. The American Prospect I love as well. I love economic politics."

Grover Norquist president, Americans for Tax Reform: "I READ The Nation to find out what the hard left is thinking; when they're depressed, I'm encouraged (and vice-versa). Then I read The American Prospect to find out what the dangerous left is thinking. The American Enterprise magazine tells me what serious conservatives are working on. Then I look at Reason magazine to find out what will be on the political agenda four elections from now."

Cheryl Jacques president and executive director, Human Rights Campaign: "THE Economist gives me a good view of world politics. The Weekly Standard and The New Republic provide me with insight into the entire political spectrum. And, of course, I'm partial to Equality, HRC's own political news quarterly for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community. It's one of the few magazines with which I agree entirely."

Ann Fishman executive director, Association of State Democratic Chairs: "I READ Newsweek, The Economist, Runner's World and Health regularly. I read The Economist because it is helpful to get a slightly different perspective on American politics. Its coverage of world news is much better than any magazines published here. I don't think many of the best-selling magazines like Time and Newsweek are very good. I think the reporters are lazy and they tend toward the sensational. I still prefer The New York Times and The Washington Post for my daily fixes."

Rachel Miller legislative assistant, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D—California: "I READ National Journal because it keeps me up-to-date on all that happened in Washington during the week. As for The New Yorker, I love the sarcasm and wit. Plus, I enjoy reading the short stories—makes me remember there's a world outside of politics. As for the fitness magazines (Shape, Fitness), it's just my hobby. I love to work out and lift weights, so they give me some motivation and ideas."

Tom Nicholls legislative assistant, Rep. Paul E. Kanjorski, D—Pennsylvania: "TYPICALLY I read The New Republic and National Journal on a weekly basis. The former is great on both an intellectual and i s s u e - driven level and matches well with my beliefs. The latter is my nonpartisan, what's-going-on-on-the-Hill magazine. Both are delivered to my office for free, so that helps, too."

David Hunter deputy director of media logistics, Democratic National Convention: "I COMMUTE back and forth to Boston and am working in a pretty intense job and really get most of my news online with the AP Wire and assorted news Web sites like The Note from ABC and First Read from MSNBC. However, when I do go home over the weekend, I read the magazines at home. I have a subscription to Newsweek, as it has more in-depth articles. The other magazine I read is Washingtonian, as it has lots of articles that are pertinent to my city, Washington, D.C."

John Regan president, Smart Campaigns (an opposition research firm): "AS a campaign professional, I try to balance my reading between publications that 'insiders' read and mainstream magazines that the average voter—or potential voter—relies on for news. I regularly read Time and Newsweek, which provide a fairly objective, easily digestible summary of the week's events. I read The Economist for its superb news coverage and international perspective and California Journal, a substantive monthly on California politics, culture and government. I also read Trout magazine. I m a fly-fisher, and do a lot of work for river conservation groups."

Randy Broz principal, Development Group, Inc. (a fundraising firm): "I ENJOY reading Black Enterprise. My company directs the fundraising operations for several members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Black Enterprise provides excellent tips for the entrepreneurial small-business owner and also provides good information and insight into the current state of affairs of the African-American community. I recently became a first-time homeowner in Washington, D.C., and when I've any free time away from work, reading This Old House is a nice way to take my mind off of work and focus on my projects at the house."

Mike Kondratick director of grassroots teleservices, Direct Impact (a grassroots campaign firm): "I READ CongressDaily and The Hotline because they provide the most concise and comprehensive analyses of current political events. They allow me to get an account of how our clients' issues are being received in the media and in Congress, and they serve as a great source for new clients by providing background on a wide variety of issues. I read Slate online because it provides a unique, somewhat lighter perspective, not just on political issues, but also on issues related to culture, business and sports. I also read The New Republic because I think it provides the most thoughtful, progressive analysis of current political events."

It's In The Mail

Carrie Giddins on how political mags attract subscribers in a presidential election year.

BOTH of the major political parties have their own promotional strategies for this presidential election year, reflecting the differences between the Republicans and Democrats. Magazines, too are gearing up for the electoral cycle that comes every four years, hoping to attract new subscribers while political interest is high. And just like the political parties, ideologically opposed publications are preparing for the race in different ways.

A direct-mail campaign to woo readers takes months of planning. But in a presidential election year, the strategy can get even tougher. Left-leaning magazines have seen a boom in their subscriptions over the past three years, since President Bush came to office, a likely reaction to his administration and policies. Now the hope is to map out direct-mail campaigns to keep dissenters reading.

On the other end of the political spectrum, conservative, right-leaning magazines are preparing for the election in a quieter way. “Our direct-mail campaigns are not based on the election,” said Catherine Titus Lowe, publicity director for The Weekly Standard. “Our direct-mail campaigns have not been new in some years, and it’s usually a four-month process to produce one.”

As a result of the battle between President Bush and the probable Democratic nominee, Senator John Kerry, The American Prospect’s marketing is aimed at certain types of people.

“Because of the election we are stepping up what we are doing this year,” said Jennifer Gilman, marketing manager of the liberal magazine. “People are angry and we are catering to the anger.” Gilman said her magazine has a database of names that it always mails to.

The Weekly Standard has a markedly less strategic plan. Titus Lowe could not think of anything new for this election year, except, possibly, some fine-tuning of the existing campaigns to allude to the uncertain times we are living in. In the past, The Weekly Standard has averaged one or two direct-mail campaigns each year—in the past three years, it has done four campaigns, said Titus Lowe. “We are fishing in a small pool. If we overtreat the pool, people are not going to pay attention to the mailings.”

Another type of publication feeling the pressure of solicitation during this election year is the nonpartisan political magazine. With clientele based mostly in and around Washington, D.C., magazines such as Congressional Quarterly and National Journal face the even more difficult task of staying neutral amid the war of words. One place where these magazines have an advantage over partisan political publications is in their dedicated customer base that is not swayed by political tides.

National elections do not have a tremendous impact on the National Journal. The magazine has a high subscription price, with 65 percent of its customers in the D.C. area. To identify new prospects, Will Wolf, the company’s chief operating officer, uses the strategy of hands-on solicitations—a combination of calling to sell the product and allowing customers to seek out the magazine. “It’s about relationship building,” he said. “I call it ‘reader relations.’”

If all else fails, there is always the opportunity for a magazine to try gimmicks and publicity stunts to attract consumers’ attention. But the unpredictable nature of a presidential election leaves little room for longterm planning. As The American Prospect’s Gilman explained: “We do have an ‘A’ or ‘B’ strategy based on November, but we can’t plan what happens.”