now that RW has bought RT

anyone else think the real killer of the magazines is the internet? you can get information on all the big events on iaaf.org as well as all time list's, letsrun talks about everything in running from the stars to the prospects, training and even live updates on races (hopefully lake biwa in japan saturday night in the usa) and much more, then there is runners web, tilastopaja.net marathonguide.com ethiopiarun.org, is there any thing in the magazines you cant find on the internet? just like e-mails will lead to a reduction, but not elimination in snail mail, the internet will reduce the need to buy running magazines.

doug225550 wrote:

anyone else think the real killer of the magazines is the internet? you can get information on all the big events on iaaf.org as well as all time list's, letsrun talks about everything in running from the stars to the prospects, training and even live updates on races (hopefully lake biwa in japan saturday night in the usa) and much more, then there is runners web, tilastopaja.net marathonguide.com ethiopiarun.org, is there any thing in the magazines you cant find on the internet? just like e-mails will lead to a reduction, but not elimination in snail mail, the internet will reduce the need to buy running magazines.

You got it. In the information age, anything a magazine publishes is old news before it ever hits the stands.

Newspapers are sure to be hurt as well. I haven't bought a newspaper in years because I get my news on line.

Yeah but the IAAF issues \'public relations\' and not \'journalism\'. The same with USATF and other federations. They censor controversial material, eliminate non-flaterring pictures and videos, and promote their interests. You still need independent correspondents to dig out fact from fiction. That\'s the job of newspapers and magazines, whether web based or print based, the duty and repsonsibility of journalists remain.

It was Ford that bought both Jaguar and Volvo, along with Aston Martin and Land Rover. It didn't do much to help their bottom line though.

Folks, these magazines have not been "killed" by the Internet. They haven't been killed, period. They both had strong growth years in 2006.

It's the end. Bye RT and RW and T&FN. Nice jobs at the 24 Hour Walmart.

Deal with the reality...RW and Dean Kornholus are the wave of the future. Actually, obesity, diabetes, cardiac disease and death...that's all that's ahead.

The internet has hurt alot of publications, newspapers, magazines, etc. But it has not, nor will ever, kill them, because these publications can attract a quality of writer that blogs cannot produce. Lets face it, a sub-elite blogger cannot write an article about past olympics like kenny moore or don kardong can. That is the way for a RUNNING magazine to survive, to offer a quality of information that cannot be replicated on the web.

Dood...are you a Rodale insider? Seems like you are overly defensive in supporting RW and RT (your recent acquistion). It hurts when the running community sees RW for what it is today...just a glorified fitness rag with tidbits on recipes, fitness routines and other garbage to keep the not so dedicated interested. The era of true credibilty written by real runners is long gone. Today it's for the masses who are in for a year or two then onto their next fad.

Come clean Dood!

I am not an insider, and I'm wondering why you even ask that. The error I am pointing out is the notion that this acquisition is somehow a symptom of economic gloom and doom for these magazines. It's not, as all the data that's been released in articles that have appeared in business publications, and in the one by David Monti that was at runnersweb.com, indicate. I am not defending these publications. I'm just saying they're not dying.

Thet would really be unfortunate if RT stops printing. The magazine has training articles and athlete features geared toward more serious runners (or at least semi-decent hacks) rather than joggers. Pieces like their Ramaala profile have been quite good, and nothing like the "I lost 80 pounds and walked a marathon in five hours -- you can, too!" dreck that RT comes up with.

Hopefully the publisher will recognize the separate market that RT serves and let the magazine function more or less as it has. The fairly common music industry scenario of majors buying indie record labels and keeping an arm's length is a good analogy for how this can work.

Shadow of Rodale wrote:

You can get the rates from any magazine via email, or call them. RW pays little for editorial articles, and stopped paying for editorial pictures after Rodale slaughtered the staff. They use a studio photos for the cover. Any competition pics they have are from unpaid, uncompensated amateurs. TFN uses amatuers and coaches and pays $100 per article, $125 for a cover photo, $50 for inside photo.

As someone else pointed out, you couldn't be more wrong. I'm no fan of most of RW's content, but they're currently in the very upper echelons of desired markets for writers. They pay top dollar and attract extremely well-credentialed writers.

Perhaps you're confusing RW with TFN (whose rates you cite) -- they're actually two very, very different magazines. Or maybe you're talking about the rates for reader-submitted items like "My Favorite Race" or "The Finish Line" of whatever they call it these days.

Or maybe you're just talking out your ass.

Yeah, I think "hold the phone" has a pretty good explanation of Shadow's confusion about the rates. Maybe they're low for someone just sending in a "Race Report," the feature-length stories in RW pay very good money.

Compared with contemporary publications RW pays far less. The circulation figures are good. Yet they are in a dying market. RW went to a different format years ago, and lost the interest of race fans. Thet don't pay for competition photographs. The internet is what I read now. I wish there were one good print magazine left, there are none. I might thumb thru SI or Time at the doctors office, or the local newspaper ai Oil Changers. But I currently subscribe to no print magazines.

Check out the Underground Grand Prix at www.undergroundgrandprix.com and sign up for their free newsletter....cool running site..

Another 1 bites the dust. Use the internet, it has more and better running news and information.

RW prints only the low-end full-length stories. Writers shoot for the best rates. SI pays the best, RW is next to the bottom, T&FN uses free writers and students. Articles that can\'t be sold elsewhere end up in RW. That\'s how it is.

people who claim RT is better than RW may not have read either magazine in awhile (probably 90% of the posters on this thread). look at the first headline in the new RT:

"4 ways to improve your training"

I think that just about sums it up.

I'm hoping that Kristin Armstrong can shift over and give her insight into how great a father Lance is in RT. I'm sure those readers must not have heard how heroic his NY marathon was.