Rodale Inc
400 South 10th St.,Emmaus, Pa. 18098-0099
610.967.5171
http://www.prevention.com
The Wind-Up
Prevention is pushing some big changes. The Rodale monthly, which is the 11th largest magazine in the country (in league with People and Sports Illustrated), boosted its
circulation to 3.3 million from 3.2 million, starting with the January issue. It also introduced a new logo, a sharper layout and a slew of new columns encompassing health
coverage that extends to family healthcare. The publication has a much cleaner, brighter look, with a lot more white space and tabs throughout the book to make for easier
navigation. "Any reader can come in and drill down to find exactly what they want," says Jenny Cook, who recently took on the reins as executive editor. Six new, color-coded
departments include News & Trends; Food & Nutrition; Alternatives; Fitness; Beauty and Family. In the current issue, the News & Trends section includes stories on new
flu fighters -- this has been the worst flu season in years -- and the latest hormone therapy, for example, while the Beauty department includes a scorecard on beauty products
like lip liners and mascara.
The magazine's readers are overwhelmingly women (81%) aged 18-69. With the latest editorial changes, however, the publication is hoping to broaden its appeal among women in
their 30s, many of them starting new families. One of the new columns, "Midlife Motherhood," targets women aged 35+ who are on the cusp of becoming new moms. "This group is not
being addressed in any of the parenting books," Cook says. Another new column, "Appetites," explores the emotional issues tied to eating -- something many women can relate to.
Every issue features comprehensive coverage of diets, dietary supplements and easy-to-prepare recipes. A regular column called "Healthy Pet" homes in on veterinary breakthroughs.
The Pitch
Considering all the analysis that goes into producing the magazine's content, allow at least six months out, if not longer, to plant the seeds for a story. Editors and
reporters prefer to initially be contacted via e-mail. (See sidebar for contact information). Cook, [email protected] , accepts Big
Picture types of stories, such as weight loss and diet and alternative medicine. Don't try and follow-up the e-mails with a telephone call. "If an editor is interested (s)he will
respond," Cook says, adding that inappropriate pitches have been a problem. The magazine is hoping to remedy the situation with the redesign, which Cook strongly recommends
communications execs study to get a better feel for the magazine's enhanced DNA. Note that there are two common misconceptions about Prevention: 1) that it is a magazine just for
sick people, running disease-of-the-week stories and 2) it is just for old people. Wrong on both accounts.
"We get a lot of story pitches that may belong in AARP or stories that are very disease-oriented," Cook says. "Rather, we're wellness-oriented." The best types of pitches for
Prevention concern cutting edge material from healthcare authorities who can translate medical information - which can sometimes cause the MEGO complex (My Eyes Glaze Over) - into
everyday language. "We need stories that are going to affect the reader on a personal level," Cook says. To wit: What products are going to make readers healthier? How do parents
deal with the health issues confronting their children? If you're looking for a real bite try and tailor a story that would resonate with the so-called "sandwich" generation, or
baby boomers who are taking care of both their aging parents and their growing children (and going cuckoo while doing it).
Since the magazine is chock-full of healthcare-related studies, Prevention is a potential boon to communication execs working in (or for) academia. It's just a question of
making the cut. "No other magazine, TV show or radio program has the resources we have in terms of investigating women's health issues," Cook says, pointing to Rodale's extensive
library -- the biggest private healthcare library in the U.S. -- and the in-house research staff at Prevention. "Our editors and writers go through massive amounts of health data
to give readers practical and actionable advice."
The magazine intends to build on the redesign in '04 by adding more features. These include stories uncovering the problems caused by sleep deprivation, personalized diet
plans and a closer look at the proliferation of home health testing, including pregnancy and cholesterol/blood sugar levels.
Prevention Contacts:
Sara Altshul -- Alternative Medicine Editor: [email protected]
Pamela Boyer -- Seniors' Health Editor: [email protected]
Denise Foley -- Deputy Editor General: [email protected]
Toby Hanlon -- Women's Health Editor: [email protected]
Sari Harrar -- Health News Editor: [email protected]
Sherry Kiser -- Beauty Editor: [email protected]
Barbra Loecher -- Senior Editor: [email protected]
Gloria McVeigh -- Assistant Nutrition Editor: [email protected]
Amy O'Connor -- Deputy Editor General: [email protected]
Regina Ragone -- Food Editor: [email protected]
Michelle Stanten -- Fitness Editor: [email protected]