What's happened
The Atlantic, founded in 1857, is experiencing a resurgence driven by circulation growth, new staffing, and innovative publishing strategies. After a notable scoop in March, the magazine is returning to monthly issues and expanding its digital presence, defying industry trends amid ongoing media challenges.
What's behind the headline?
The Atlantic's recent growth signals a strategic shift in a declining media industry. By adding 50 journalists and leveraging a viral scoop, the publication has boosted circulation and digital engagement. Returning to monthly issues and experimenting with a hybrid online magazine-newspaper format positions The Atlantic as a resilient player. This move underscores the importance of agility and innovation in journalism, especially as traditional media faces declining ad revenues and audience fragmentation. The backing of a dedicated ownership group like the Emerson Collective provides stability, allowing the magazine to invest in quality journalism and digital expansion. The story also highlights how a single accidental scoop can catalyze significant growth, emphasizing the unpredictable nature of media success today. Overall, The Atlantic's approach demonstrates that legacy outlets can adapt and thrive by embracing new formats and strategic storytelling, setting a potential blueprint for other traditional publications.
What the papers say
The AP News and The Independent both highlight The Atlantic's recent expansion, with the latter emphasizing its return to monthly publishing and record circulation gains. The AP News notes the magazine's strategic staffing increase and the impact of the March scoop, which boosted circulation. Meanwhile, The Independent provides detailed context about the magazine's history, ownership, and its efforts to innovate in a challenging media landscape. The contrasting perspectives underscore the magazine's resilience and adaptive strategies, with The Independent offering a broader view of its historical significance and future plans, while AP focuses on recent performance metrics.
How we got here
The Atlantic has long been a prominent publication in American journalism. Recently, it has focused on expanding its staff and digital offerings, partly fueled by a significant scoop involving a mistaken inclusion in a Trump administration text chain. The magazine's circulation has increased steadily, supported by ownership from the Emerson Collective, led by Laurene Powell Jobs, and a strategic shift back to monthly publishing after two decades of fewer issues.
Go deeper
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The Atlantic is an American lifestyle magazine and multi-platform publisher. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, Massachusetts, as The Atlantic Monthly, a literary and cultural commentary magazine that published leading writers' commentary on the abolition
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Jeffrey Mark Goldberg is an American journalist and editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine. During his nine years at The Atlantic prior to becoming editor, Goldberg became known for his coverage of foreign affairs.