Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/03/18

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Subject: Re: [Leica] LIFE
From: Harrison Mcclary <harrison@mcclary.net>
Date: Sat, 18 Mar 2000 15:41:55 -0600

once upon a time Sal DiMarco,Jr. wrote:

> Harrison, Ted,
> You are both wrong. LIFE did not deserve to die.

>...SNIP...

> People have to want to read LIFE. The
> only way they will want it, it to make it interesting and exciting. The new
> LIFE was boring.
> The new LIFE was a very poor PEOPLE retread, but alive, it still had
> hope. Dead it has done.

Sal,

I agree with what you have said above.  I did not mean that LIFE deserved to
die, simply that the LIFE on the stands today is not even a shadow if its
old self, but a poor copy of PEPOPLE.  As you said LIFE was a picture
magazine giving glimpses into things most never see with new and interesting
angles on things.

The current thing is nothing like what we expect, and is, I think, the
reason it failed....People were not looking for a rebagged PEOPLE magazine
but a magazine that gives people a unique look on things.  The magazine did
not do that and hence its lack of success. IMHO.

I, as an editorial photographer, am always saddened to see an outlet close.
I have seen 3 of the 4 newspapers I worked for close their doors and one
wire service that I worked for is now only in the history books.  To succeed
in the market today print media must offer something different,
unfortunately I think most people in management that means along the
entertainment lines, not the news/editorial documentary style.
- -- 
Harrison McClary
http://www.mcclary.net