Photo Magazines

Patrick Roessler

Photo magazines are a type of illustrated periodical popular in media markets around the globe. While characterized by a substantial proportion of photographic illustration, photo magazines generally address issues of a broader, general appeal, emphasizing news and current events. Published weekly (or, less commonly, monthly), their journalistic functions were to (1) visually portray people and events, (2) summarize and contextual-ize developments beyond daily newspaper coverage, (3) entertain readers by presenting the new and unexpected, and (4) serve as a platform for photojournalists. Despite the fact that photo magazines have lost considerable impact in the age of television and the Internet, where visuals are omnipresent, for years they contributed substantially to the creation of collective memories. Given that almost every title displayed at an average newsstand includes illustration, the mere fact that a periodical includes photographs is not sufficient to qualify it as a photo magazine. Based on the three major ...

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