The Enduring Value of the Alumni Magazine

Having worked as an editorial designer for over 30 years and been a lifelong magazine subscriber, I have witnessed the significant challenges magazines have faced, from the disruption of the Internet to budget cuts during the 2009 recession and later the pandemic. Today, with schools addressing serious budget constraints, the rationale for publishing a print magazine is again under intense scrutiny—a situation that could be the final blow for many.

The Magazine's Crucial Role

Despite these challenges, the magazine's importance remains clear. Recent focus groups for two distinct schools—a large public university and a small independent school—revealed a consistent theme: the magazine is vital for building reputation.

The 2025 Market Report on News Media and Magazine Audiences, which found that 86% of American adults, or 223 million people, have read a magazine in the last six months. Those readers are typically well-educated, have a higher income, and include young and diverse consumers. 

It is seen as a highly credible source of information, allowing for authentic storytelling, high-quality imagery, and a diverse array of voices and narrative styles. When executed effectively, it transcends a mere marketing piece. It serves to reconnect alumni with the institution and their community while offering prospective members a genuine insight into the school's people and culture.

Joanna Weiss, editor, Harvard Magazine, shares, “The content is still there and being read. People want storytelling.”

Why Print Endures

While the budget lines of alumni magazines are frequently scrutinized, research consistently shows they lead to increased alumni engagement, with readers spending significant time with the content. The difficulty, however, lies in quantifying the Return on Investment (ROI), making the magazine a hard sell to budget-focused administrators.

Yet, a look at broader trends is illuminating. While commercial consumer magazines have declined, the world of independent publishing is thriving. Jeremy Leslie, founder of Mag Culture, estimates that 3,000 to 5,000 independent, niche magazines are published annually, a number that continues to grow. The popularity demonstrates a strong demand for a physical, tactile product.

Thanks to Gen Z magazines that were once iconic but had fallen out of favour are also making a comeback. i-D magazine, for example, returned to newsstands in March, while Nylon Magazine resumed printing in April 2024. (Source: Instituto Maragoni)

Regarding alumni publications, Leslie offers a powerful argument for print: "We get bombarded with so many emails now... Whereas, if you get a package in the post and there's a magazine it can sit around for a bit, it doesn't disappear down the end of your inbox. It's there. It's not constant. It's a very special, purposeful, unique communication. And I think print is ideal for that."

Protecting the Print Investment

To safeguard the print magazine against budget cuts, we must be proactive and strategic. This involves carefully examining three key areas:

• Who Receives the Print Issue? Implementing an opt-in system, as Wellesley Magazine did, can significantly reduce the print run and mailing costs, resulting in a more engaged and targeted readership. Editor, Lisa Scanlon Mogolov, notes, “About a third of alums opted in (in addition, we send the magazine to young alums for their first five years out). The nice thing about this approach is that we're not taking anything away from the alums, and they appreciate that. They also like that we're not wasting paper on magazines that people don't want.”

Alternatively, mailing to recent graduates and a select list of highly engaged alumni ensures the print investment reaches those most likely to act on it. Curating this list requires time but maximizes the impact. (Read: Know Your Audience: Update Your Mailing List)

As part of its Delivering for America 10-year strategic plan, the U.S. Postal Service has implemented seven rate increases since 2021, for a total price increase of nearly 50% for periodicals. The most recent, in July 2025, was a 9.5% increase for periodicals (and the USPS is also looking to remove quarterlies as a category). If the USPS aims to meet the average price for mail based on 2020 prices across seven other nations, the price of mail in the U.S. could increase by 124% by 2031. 

• How Often to Publish? During the 2009 recession, many schools reduced their frequency (e.g., from 6 issues to 4, 4 to 3, or 3 to 2). Two issues per year has become the standard for many over the last 15 years. With rising costs and a diverse suite of digital communication tools, print is best viewed as one strategically timed element within a larger communication strategy.

• Size Matters: The trend of oversized, slightly square formats from a decade ago can add $10,000 or more to the printing and mailing costs, depending on circulation. If the goal is to maintain a print, ask yourself if that extra ½ inch is worth the cost.

• Paper and Printing: Production costs will only increase. While loyalty to current vendors is understandable, seeking competitive bids from printers specializing in magazines is essential. We have saved clients $20,000 to $40,000 per issue by moving their accounts. Furthermore, advancements in technology mean that the costly and time-consuming in-person press check is no longer a necessity. As fun as it might be to get out of the office, ask yourself, is it worth it in the long run?

Beyond the Page

As we discussed in our last insight, “Beyond the Coffee Table,” a print magazine cannot be planned in isolation. It must be considered part of a larger storytelling ecosystem. Leveraging content across print, digital platforms, social media, video, and audio ensures the original investment is strategic and provides maximum value.

The Future State

Print is always going to be part of our lives. While some naysayers may not agree, with strategic planning, it doesn’t have to be the final blow for many."  For it to remain a viable element of alumni communications, however, we must be strategic about defining its value and protecting its unique and essential role.