New Magazines Target Niche Audiences

By Jack Speer

Published August 3, 2004 at 12:00 AM EDT

The summer issue of <I>Modern Dog</I> magazine features Paris Hilton and her Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, on its cover. — The summer issue of *Modern Dog* magazine features Paris Hilton and her Chihuahua, Tinkerbell, on its cover.

The debut issue of <I>Fugue</I>, a Los Angeles-based lifestyle and culture magazine. — The debut issue of *Fugue*, a Los Angeles-based lifestyle and culture magazine.

Stacks of new magazines, with titles like Sync, Beach Houses and Modern Dog, are hitting newsstands, targeting specific niches even more precisely than the specialized publications of the 1980s and '90s.

Among the new crop, Modern Dog features photos of fashion models and celebrities with their canine companions. Think Vogue or Vanity Fair -- with dogs.

Technology has driven down the startup costs, but 60 percent of the new publications won't last until their first birthday. Yet just enough of the new magazines will survive to make the risks seem worthwhile, industry specialists say. NPR's Jack Speer reports.

Jack Speer

Jack Speer is a newscaster at NPR in Washington, DC. In this role he reports, writes, edits, and produces live hourly updates which air during NPR programming.

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