The Mighty Are Falling

Time, Sports Illustrated, Fortune and Money are on the auction block. Meredith Corporation doesn’t want them. These four orphans were once mighty kings, but now they are weak and slowly vanishing. There was a time not so long ago when PR practitioners would be happy to get their news in any one of the four magazines. Now they risk being split up as they sink into a black hole of consumer consciousness. Ad revenue is just not there for any of the periodicals, and they are faced with cutting deeply into editorial to make up for the loss. One can argue that Time Inc. lost its way in the internet age, but so too did other news magazines. Look for the four titles to shrink further and perhaps, disappear over the next five years. It would be a loss if they do, but the Darwinian publishing market has no pity.