Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Wired Wasting Away?

Wired Magazine is one of my favorite print publications to digest every month. I look forward to its arrival each month in its protective plastic cocoon, ready to key me in to the latest trends, technology stories and digital culture. This visionary blend of technology and cultural insight means that Wired has a lot in common with Apple founder Steve Jobs.

Unfortunately, I realized today that Wired has MORE in common with Steve than just that. Wired is apparently suffering from a "hormone imbalance" just like Jobs, but is wasting away at a much more alarming rate! This month's issue has easily lost half its weight from just a few months ago. Just look at these page counts:

November 2008 - 256 pages
December 2008 - 236 pages
January 2009 - 128 pages
February 2009 - 116 pages

So what's changed? It's the ads! The new issue is a veritable wasteland for ads. There are still some full page spreads, but they are few and far between. This doesn't bode well for one of my favorite mags. I hope they've called in a doctor and started measures to regain the weight they have lost, and that they can hold on until the recovery sets in. Good luck, Wired!

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