You know, this idea that the great British public is disinterested in politics is rapidly losing credance. Well, it is if magazine sales are anything to go by. the ABC figures piblished this week show that in the last twelve months the circulation of current affairs magazines has jumped by 10.5% - compared to a 3% drop overall in all other sectors. I must admit that brought a smile to my face when drawing up the final version of the TOTAL POLITICS business plan yesterday.
The Economist +6.7%
The Week +7.7%
Spectator +5%
Prospect +20.2%
New Statesman -12.7%
The New Statesman figure is very odd, as it has become far more readable and easier on the eye. But for the rest it seems that there's a very bright future. As well as my company launching TOTAL POLITICS, the Social Affairs Unit is about to publish a new right of centre competitor to Prospect called STANDPOINT.
Hope your new mag understands the difference between 'disinterested' and 'uninterested' :-)
ReplyDeleteThe Spectator does grate a bit. I don't like the way the house leftists and liberals go native as soon as they start writing for it. And my views on James Delingpole can't be expressed on a family blog.
ReplyDeleteI think though, this is partly down to people involved in the 'political sphere' becoming even more interested, as for the first time in a decade we finally have a contest on our hands.
ReplyDeleteCompared with the overall population though, I still think the interest is pretty low!
and what are the political viewpoints of each of them?
ReplyDeleteThe New Statesman went through a brilliant patch Iain when it was unmissable . God knows what’s going on there but it has sagged dismally of late.
ReplyDeleteFor example what is the point of that relic Pilger ...does anyone in the solar system pay any attention to him or Darcus Black person .. Its like being caught by peculiar old hippy at a Party and some bonkers tramp who have wandered into a party . Depressingly irrelevant
http://www.newstatesman.com/200703190050
ReplyDeleteI think its called a dead cat bouncing.
ReplyDeleteA 15% rise on almost as good as nothing is still very close to nothing.
The general population have a problem discussing politics without falling asleep or quickly changing the subject.
Talking politics is still by far and away the best device to ensure you never get invited to a party ever again.
Atlas shrugged and checked his empty diary.
Iain, upon finishing reading this post I was a bit surprised you didnt mention that you have a magazine coming out soon, called TOTAL POLITICS. Surely given you were commenting upon political magazines it would have been a good time to mention TOTAL POLITICS. After all to mention TOTAL POLITICS when writing about TOTAL POLITICS would give the edge to a post about TOTAL POLITICS.
ReplyDeleteAnon@ 10:22,
ReplyDeleteSorry, can you repeat that?
it will be a tough gig following The Speccie into Mad/Bad Tory Hell. Personally I like a lot of it and buy it weekly but then there is the gratuitously offensive pieces about gays and other minorities that slip through on the platform of "free speech".
ReplyDeleteStrangely enough nothing overtly racist these days mind. And that silly old "Dear Mary" - dont know about you but last week she said "people in their fifties either live in the country or spend there weekends there". We wish. I know she is meant to be funny but she just writes pointless patronising pap. Get Tamsin Lightwater onside. Get rid of pointless old bigoted trash like Mary and Paul J. and I will wish you good luck and will be an early subscriber nonetheless defo.
Doesn't the Economist have a larger circulation in the US than in Britain?
ReplyDelete