New Zealand is a nation that loves television and celebrity gossip, though our interest in the antics of Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan is falling, the latest magazine circulation figures show. The magazine audit, by the Audit Bureau of Circulations, recorded changes in circulation numbers over the past six and 12 months.
Total circulation was steady, but women's interest magazines and current affairs titles continued a trend of falling circulation.
Vicki Lee, managing director of Pacific Magazines, which publishes New Idea , said she did not believe readership in the women's interest magazines was waning. Computer and internet magazines Computerworld NZ , PC World and NetGuide also had plummeting circulation figures, suggesting that print was no longer the favoured medium to read such material.
Offsetting these falls were a strong rise in a number of new titles, many in the food and lifestyle category. ACP Media's new title Taste , grew 18 per cent in the past year. Independent title Healthy Food Guide continued excellent growth, increasing circulation 35 per cent in the past year, while more established food magazines Cuisine and Dish increased their circulations.
Interest in rugby also showed no signs of wavering as the World Cup approaches; NZ Rugby World grew almost 10 per cent in the past six months, and 7 per cent over the past year. Magazine Publishers' Association deputy chairman John Baker said the audit did not necessarily capture a snapshot of what New Zealanders were reading, as many magazines on sale in New Zealand shelves were imported.
