Woman's Realm industry Flashcards
(21 cards)
Who published WR and how often?
IPC
They were a mainstream conglomerate that was powerful in the market at the time.
Published weekly between 1958 and 2001.
When did women’s magazines start to become popular?
During the post-war period
How many WR magazines were sold per week in 1960?
1.2 million copies
What was Woman’s Realm merged with in 2001 and why?
Woman’s Weekly
This is because Woman’s Realm became IPC’s least popular magazine.
What three publishing companies merged to form IPC which controlled the bulk of magazines in the 1960s?
Odhams
Newnes
Amalgamated
What magazines have Newnes published?
Woman’s Life and Woman’s Own
What magazines have Odhams published?
Woman and Ideal Home
What magazines have Amalgamated published?
Woman and Home and Woman’s Weekly
Why were women’s magazines popular in the post-war period?
Women who had entered the workforce during the war had returned to their roles as homemakers.
Magazines helped to redefine their roles.
There was also an economic boom where people had more disposable income - spent on technology but also makeup etc.
How did the post-war economic boom impact magazines?
There was a growth in people’s disposable incomes meaning women’s magazines were a prime vehicle for advertising consumer goods.
This is seen in Bottled Beauty and Attrixo.
How does WR arguably show a rise in the female identity?
The problem pages offers advice to women on relationships and children.
Does WR align with the start of the sexual liberation movement for women?
No, the front cover shows a women looking modest and complying to conservative stereotypes.
The Sunday Cook advert also reinforces the idea that women should care for their families.
What did WR take pressure off when it was published?
The sales of ‘Woman’ - another magazine.
What market is WR aimed at?
A mass market audience - published weekly for women.
What advert in WR aligns with the idea of female liberation?
Sunsational Sultanas - moves away from domestic ideals.
How does IPC align with Hesmondhagh’s theory?
IPC dominated the women’s weekly magazine industry, producing a range of very similar magazines.
This aligns with the idea that media companies copy already existing formats to maximise profits and minimise risk.
This is exemplified in the fact that Woman’s Realm was created, even though IPC already had a very successful magazine called Woman.
What printing press company did IPC purchase and what did this mean for the company?
Odhams
This meant that IPC became vertically integrated as they ownedcomponaies that did different parts of the production company.
Why did the sales of Woman’s Realm begin to fall?
In the 80s and 90s women had more power - they were no longer getting married or having children at a young age.
What did Woman’s Realm start to do to address the decline in sales?
They redesigned Woman’s Realm in order to try and make it more glamorous in 1989.
Yet, this ultimately failed.
Why else may have Woman’s Realm had a redesign, beyond the fact that they wanted to maintain audiences?
Perhaps they wanted to boost readers so that brands would continue to pay for advertising in the magazine.
How does the ownership of IPC throughout the years align with Curran and Seaton’s media theory?
IPC was bought out by a variety of companies, including Reed in 1970 up to Future PLC in 2020.
The constant selling and buying of this successful brand shows how the industry is all about profit and power - horizontally integrating IPC into their business.
