Leading independent poetry magazine in Britain

The Wolf Magazine

Types of magazines and their typology

At the moment, there are a huge number of journal publications in the world. There are various classifications of magazines according to the following characteristics: readership, geographical coverage, nature of information, publishing body, method of presentation of information, thematic focus, purpose. The most important distinguishing features are thematic focus, intended use and readership. Let us consider the existing types of journals according to these features. In modern publishing practice the following types of journals are distinguished:

Popular science - journals that contain articles and materials about the fundamentals of science, about theoretical and/or experimental research in science, culture and practice. Their functional purpose is to serve the dissemination of knowledge and self-education, contribute to the formation of a scientific worldview and broadening the reader's horizons, popularize the achievements of science, technology, culture and art. In contrast to scientific magazines, they publish materials of practical, entertaining and literary-artistic content, which once again emphasizes their wide readership.

Scientific – journals published by the scientific community for the exchange of scientific and technical information between scientists, contain publications about scientific discoveries and achievements. They have a narrow readership.

Popular - magazines, which publish various materials on culture, sports, everyday life, leisure and are also designed for a wide audience. Their topics cover a wide range of issues from various spheres of life and activities of the society. It varies widely in its design, which is designed to be attractive and usable.

Socio-political – a magazine that publishes articles and materials on current socio-political topics and is intended for a wide range of readers. It may include satirical works and humoresques, as well as articles on various topics and articles of popular scientific nature. It has a wide target audience and is intended for a diverse mass audience.

Literary and fiction magazine – fiction of different genres, journalistic and critical articles and materials take the main place in it.

Special – journals that are meant to disseminate special, business information, unlike general information (intended for public). The objective is to promote scientific communication among specialists in the interests of their professional activity.

The typology of periodicals is still under development and therefore does not have a clear definition. However, an analysis of the few works devoted to this problem creates approaches to solving it.

For example, the textbook “Mass Media System” identifies the following as the main typology features: the nature of the audience, the subject matter, the intended purpose, the time of publication, and the periodicity.

The division of journals into types is necessary for the clear-cut work of the publishers, enabling them to concentrate on a specific subject, provide better quality material, be more detailed and with more commentary. Also, the typology helps readers to find the information they need in the journals easier, so, for example, reading a popular magazine, the consumer will not come across scientific articles that are not interesting to him and vice versa.