MOST Magazine is No More
I’m not sure what percentage of our readers is over 50 years old, but even if you are younger than that, you may have noticed Most Magazine among the various real estate books and other free publications usually located in the foyers of restaurants or near the exits in grocery stores. Most started out as Frederick Senior back in 2000, the brainchild of publisher Gwen Leahy, who saw a need for a magazine that catered to the over 50 crowd. She was right, in my opinion, because it’s hard to find any resources for older folks. (I am not quite there yet, but I work with that age group).
After 7 years, Most has published it’s last magazine which is in stores now. It’s a shame too, because it’s quite a large segment of the population that has lost a valuable resource. This is where my opinion sets in, even though it’s partly based on rumors I have heard about the demise of Most. If you’ve ever thumbed through an issue, you may have noticed that the advertisements are sort of depressing. Funeral homes and cemeteries. Doctor’s offices and nursing homes. Home health care, hospitals and medical supplies. Those lifts that get installed on your stair case. And this is a magazine for age 50+! I can’t figure out why advertisers aren’t hearing the word that 50 is the new 30. Where are the ads for Boscov’s and Kohl’s? For car dealerships and hair salons? Are advertisers so willing to write off the fastest growing population in our society as somehow being non-consumers? I have heard that Gwen had a lot of trouble getting advertisers to buy ad space in her free to us publication, hence all the ads that I mentioned above.
And that’s a shame, because even though I don’t know Gwen personally (although I have met her once, years ago), I do know that she poured her heart and soul (and quite a bit of her own money) into Most Magazine and it’s a resource that will be sorely missed by a large segment of our population. And shame on local businesses who don’t realize the gold mine that could be, by advertising to the “older adult”.
26 June, 2008 Thursday
While in the waiting room of my dentist’s office, I picked up More Magazine for the first time. Helen Mirren is on the cover and the article on her was gorgeous, elegant and superb!
I also happened upon an article on career coaching. I loved it! Like you, I am also sorry the magazine has gone out publication. It could be that we 60 somethings, who are the new 40 somethings, are being placed too quickly into a “mature” classification separate from our chronicological counterparts. Many of us still look and feel so young, that we can’t understand why we have to be singled out and set apart.
Because we still look, think and approach life in such a dynamic way, we have no care to be separated from the real 30 or 20 somethings. Each group has something so very wonderful to give to one another.
With women living well over 80 and 90 and still having a youthful approach to life….why separate….rather than combine youth with wisdom, experience and the ability to choose more wisely.
So sorry to see the magazine go away. Just re- fore mat and come back with a new approach. I would like to be included in the thought process.
In times past, during my careers, I have developed ideas, which have been purloined away and used. I have found that behavior to be most unscrupulous. Please, if you are in agreement with my opinion, be not of the same behavior.
Sharon Battaglia
707.758.4147 Cell
Hi Sharon: More magazine did not go away after the Helen Mirren issue. It is just hard to find on the newsstand. If you like it, go to More.com and subscribe or you can write to my boss and ask him to put more copies out there because you love it: Jack Griffin, President, Meredith Corporation, 125 E. 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017.
I’m the editor in chief of the magazine! Keep reading (you just have to search for it at the store!)
This post was about MOST magazine, a local Frederick publication. I have no clue what More Magazine is.