A German theologian and poet of Hamburg Johann Rist published the first true magazine between 1663 and 1668. Concepts of the well-known modern magazine originally made their appearance in the 17th century as pamphlets, almanacs, and brochures. Publishers quickly discovered that irregular publishing schedules demanded an excessive amount of time and effort. Then, when publishers looked for recurring readers with particular interests, a transition happened gradually. However, the first issue of the magazine was unpublished. Not only was it insufficiently newsworthy to qualify as a newspaper, but it also couldn't be deemed enjoyable reading. Rather, early magazines stood in the intermediary position between the two. Germany, France, and the Netherlands were the first to produce magazines and then Great Britain followed closely. In America, the first magazines were published in 1741. Andrew Bradford's
American Magazine, was the first publication of its kind in the colonies. In the United States, the first truly successful mass-circulation magazine was
The Saturday Evening Post. These magazines catered to politicians, the educated, and the merchant classes, much like the partisan newspapers of the era. Paid circulations were low- between
one hundred and fifteen hundred copies. However, earlier magazines served more widespread purposes such as documenting issues such as taxation, state versus federal power, Indian treaties, public education, and the end of colonialism.
Magazines were created to provide information, entertainment, and insight on a wide range of topics. It was to give less news-like information rather than broad domestic and political commentary. Some in England offered poetry, politics, and philosophy. At first, magazines focused on improvement and reason but not long after turned to more amusement-
based stories. Soon these magazines were no longer focused on the elite class. The publishers took advantage of this new audience and began to offer family magazines, children's magazines, and women's magazines. This changes communication because there are not only news magazines but there are picture magazines that allow for photojournalism. This allowed the viewers to read things that interested them not just news articles.
The majority of magazines used to cost 25 or 35 cents for each issue, which restricted readership to the relatively small number of people who could purchase them. In 1893 Samuel Sidney McClure began selling McClure's Magazine, originally a literary and political magazine, at the price of only 15 cents per issue. The trend caught on and led to Munsey Magazine (1886-1929) selling for only 10 cents. However, the cost of delivery remained high, as well as some carriers refused to carry magazines. In 1800 only twelve magazines operated, and by 1825 about a hundred magazines existed although about another five hundred had failed between 1800 and 1825. Still, the majority of communities had their own weekly magazines in the first quarter of the 1800s. These magazines included articles republished from various sources along with commentaries on regional problems, governmental actions, and political intrigue.
The impact of magazines on individuals is mainly negative, as it affects their body image, political views, purchasing behavior, and access to information. The portrayal of unrealistic body images in magazines often results in people losing their self-confidence. Furthermore, the mass printing of millions of magazines is detrimental to the environment.
