In the NY Times Media Decoder, it was revealed yesterday that Condé Nast would close Gourmet magazine, a staple in the culinary world since 1940. The announcement, of course, took many food fans by surprise. Rumors had been rife that the publisher would close one of its food-related magazines, but it thought that Bon Appétit, which does not have as rich a history as Gourmet, would be the first to go.
However, in a related article, Condé Nast’s chef executive, Charles H. Townsend, revealed the reason for the decision: Gourmet was losing money. He noted that versus Gourmet, which has a circulation of about 978,000, Bon Appétit was much bigger, at 1.352 million… And the company made higher margins off of the Bon Appétit circulation.
All of this, I believe, leads to a very important question: How much responsibility did Gourmet editor-in-chef Ruth Reichl bear in the magazine’s demise? I must confess that I have never been terribly enamored with Ms. Reichl, either personally or professionally. And once she took over the reins at Gourmet, the magazine, in my opinion, began its inexorable descent into oblivion.
There is a very fine line between brilliant and bizarre and, from my perspective, Ms. Reichl crossed that line once too often. In an effort to be “contemporary” and “cool,” she seemed to lose sight of Gourmet’s rich history & ultimate purpose and, in the process, undoubtedly succeeded in alienating a portion of the magazine’s readership – this writer included. What seems positively stunning on the rarified air of the drawing board may, in the cold light of day, assault the senses as aesthetically stilted and contrived. The winds of change were blowing; but she failed to sense their direction – and it cost her.
On the other hand… as a food writer and restaurant critic, I have had continuing contact with various aspects of the publishing industry. And I can tell you first hand that the bottom line is all. In publishing, I quickly learned, there are no friends… only enemies who have yet to make your acquaintance.
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