VOLUME 30, NUMBER 11 December 1999
Monitoring the past, present and future
In response to member feedback, APA converts the Monitor into a news magazine.
Sara Martin
Monitor staff
Beginning next month, the publication that was born 30 years ago as a simple black-and-white newsletter and evolved into a meaty 11" x 17" tabloid will take another developmental step. As of the January issue, the Monitor will be published as a four-color magazine. The new name of the publication is APA's Monitor on Psychology.
APA is making the change in response to members' requests that the publication come in a size that is easier to handle and won't yellow after a month on the shelf. The number of articles in the Monitor and the editorial content will not change, nor will the revamped publication increase costs.
"The Monitor is so popular with members and advertisers that we approached the prospect of change with considerable caution," says APA Chief Executive Officer Raymond D. Fowler, PhD. "We were careful to listen to what they had to say and wanted to be sure that we made the changes the members wanted and that nothing they liked got left out in the process."
Support for the change
APA began hearing complaints about the Monitor's size and paper several years ago. Members asked for a publication that they could slip into their briefcases and read easily on a plane or subway. They wanted to be able to photocopy articles without having to reduce them. They requested a non-yellowing paper that wouldn't smear ink on their fingers. And they wanted more colorful photos and graphics.
To determine whether most members would support such a change, APA's Research Office conducted a survey, which was mailed to 600 APA members/affiliates and yielded a 44 percent response rate. According to the results:
APA's Research Office also conducted a survey of advertisers to see if they would support the change. They did: 93 percent indicated they would be likely to continue to advertise in a magazine format.
Good business
In conducting research on the costs of printing a magazine, APA determined that the move made good business sense. For one, because the tabloid had grown to such an unusual size, it is very expensive to mail. APA found that it could save as much as $40,000 a year by mailing a magazine instead.
Also, due to growth in the printing industry over the last several years, printing prices have become more competitive. APA found that, with the savings in postage, it could print a four-color magazine for almost the same amount it spends to print the tabloid, which only allows for color on 12 of every 96 pages.
Finally, by offering a format that is four-color format, APA is able to offer more to advertisers.
"This change in format is a win-win scenario," says APA Monitor Executive Editor Rhea K. Farberman. "First and foremost, the magazine will be a higher quality, more reader-friendly product for members. Second, the new format will help us stem the tide of rising mailing costs and offer the possibility of increased advertising revenues."
As the Monitor takes this important step, APA encourages members to continue voicing their opinions.
"For 30 years, the Monitor has been the primary voice of APA, and a valuable source of information about developments in psychology," says Fowler. "The Monitor will start the new century with a new look, but even in the age of Internet, it will continue to be the most important way we communicate with our members."
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