Summer of 69: the first magazine of a collaboration series between Meredith and NYT

The first-ever collaboration marks The New York Times’ first standalone magazine on newsstands. The magazines will be Times-branded and available at Meredith’s Magazine Store and Amazon. The issues will each have a retail price of approximately US$14.99 and CAN$17.99. The inaugural magazine focuses on “The Summer of ’69” to coincide with the NYT’s coverage of the 50th anniversary of that event.

 

 

“Meredith reached out to The Times with the idea for a magazine series,” said Michael Greenspon, global head, NYT Licensing and Print Innovation. “Meredith understands the magazine business and has the distribution network. They also have quality editors that can work with our editorial team putting together a product that meets Times standards. The idea for the first issue came about as we wanted to sync up with the ongoing reporting in the newsroom about the summer of 69.” 

Collaborating with Meredith on this series was an opportunity for The New York Times’ to highlight its editorial expertise while attracting new readers. “We could have done a special issue or a special section (like the Ali section which was also primarily pre-published articles and photos). However, the idea of reaching a different audience through Meredith’s distribution network was appealing. Plus, this felt like something halfway between our magazine and a coffee table book,” Greenspon said. 

The special issue combines The Times’ authoritative editorial content and Meredith’s broad expertise in retail and capabilities of producing content and reaching a large audience. The collaboration is seamless, explained Scott Mortimer, VP and group publisher at Meredith.

“The Special Interest Media group at Meredith has a proven track record when it comes to producing and distributing high-quality, single-topic issues,” Mortimer said. “With our vast newsstand reach and retail expertise, we’re a good fit to help bring The New York Times’ extraordinary content to market in this special magazine format. We’re thrilled about working with The Times on this first-ever collaboration. It’s a win-win for both of us.”

“The first issue of their series is entirely focused on ‘Summer of ’69.’ There were many historic and memorable moments from that summer… the landing on the Moon, Woodstock, the Stonewall Riots, The NY Mets winning the World Series, and more,” explained Mortimer. “That eventful time period lends itself so naturally to compelling content that consumers can’t get enough of. We’re excited to distribute this keepsake issue as The New York Times covers this milestone anniversary.” 

The plan, acccording to Greenspon, is to do five additional magazines with Meredith devoted to other historical events, significant milestones and cultural subjects, with the next one coming out in the autumn.

 

 

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Liz Vaccariello ()

 Meredith Corp’s Liz Vaccariello will speak at the FIPP World Media Congress about the ‘Parennials’ – the millennial parent demographic whose unique characteristics separate them from previous generations. Editor in chief of Parents Magazine in the USA, Vaccariello will explain how an improved understanding of their target audience has shifted the focus and content of the title with outstanding results.

To book your tickets, and for more infiormation go to fippcongress.com.

 

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