Another one bites the dust

Alas, St. Joseph Media (the publishers of many great Canadian magazines) have suspended the production Wish magazine. The December 2008 issue will be their last; same goes for Gardening Life.

I know many moms who looked forward to this great publication because it had a little bit of everything - fashion, beauty, home decor, recipes. It featured great tips, techniques, interviews and solutions for everyday living. You would think the format was perfect for today's busy lifestyle.

What happened? Well, the actual printing of a magazine is still expensive (and so is the shipping) and their readers are looking for info online more than ever before. Combine that with the fact their ad revenues are declining, you have a situation that most media are facing today. Sink or swim online.

The Wish 20-Minute Supper Club has grown to 55,000 members online so St. Joseph Media made the decision to concentrate their efforts by launching a stand-alone website and an annual 20-Minute Supper Club magazine.

Reality does bite sometimes. Its sad to see such a great magazine disappear as it means fewer traditional outlets to target for press coverage but it does demonstrate the growth of power going to online media outlets.