About Alberta Magazines

Did you know?

• The Alberta periodical publishing industry encompasses nearly 200 magazines and nearly 100 scholarly journals.
• Based on Statistics Canada data, the estimated 2008 value of the Alberta magazine industry is $83.4 million in revenues.
• Based on the above value, the return on investment made in Alberta magazines by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts for fiscal year 2008-9 was 179:1.
• The annual contribution made by Alberta magazines to the GDP (mainly of Alberta) is $106.8 million.*
• The contribution made by Alberta magazines to employment and wages results in 829 full-time jobs and $35 million to the wage economy.*
• An estimate of total readership for Alberta magazines would be at least 8,000,000 and possibly as high as 12,000,000 per issue.
• Periodical publishing in the prairie provinces is growing at a greater rate than anywhere else in the country. It has come close to doubling its national percentage market share over the past decade.
• Alberta publishers receive one-quarter of what they might expect to receive from the federal government in support of magazine publishing were grants based on industry revenue. The shortfall in federal grants (estimated to be $2.23 million annually) arises from the rare use of subscriptions as a main income stream by Alberta magazines.
• Major challenges for Alberta magazine publishers include achieving effective distribution and surviving in Alberta¡¯s highly competitive environment.
• Alberta magazines see themselves as closely connected to communities to which their readers belong and very much involved in the dynamism and growth of these communities.
• Magazines contribute to communities and in so doing build loyalty and a sense of belonging in their readerships.
• Professional creators such as writers, editors, designers, illustrators and photographers contribute to Alberta magazines. Alberta magazines not only provide opportunities for these artists to showcase their work, but enable them to practice their craft in Alberta rather than moving to other provinces or to the U.S. to make a living. Therefore, Alberta magazines play a significant role in developing and sustaining a strong creative community in Alberta.
• These professional artists tell Alberta's stories to fellow Albertans and to others beyond our borders. This is how we bond as a community and gain insight into who we are and what we value as Albertans.
• Every time someone reads and/or purchases an Alberta magazine, they help support the arts and creative community in Alberta. Such participation in the arts contributes to:
  • healthier communities that promote active, social bonding;
  • developing creative thinkers who are sought after by the business/corporate community for their originality,
  • resourcefulness and excellent problem solving skills;
  • fostering innovation and confidence in new ideas;
  • creating a current and future audience for the arts.

 

Alberta magazines tell Alberta stories from uniquely Albertan perspectives.
Alberta magazines. Flippin' sweet.

*Calculated using an accepted expenditure multiplier of 1.28 to account for indirect and induced activity and jobs for magazine publishing. This multiplier does not take into account the value of information contained in periodicals, nor their contributions to culture or social capital. Findings as published in the study, "Magazines Alberta: Vibrancy, Growth, Interactive Community Leadership" by Rowland Lorimer, PhD, Director, Canadian Centre for Studies in Publishing, Simon Fraser University.