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Today's vibrant music culture is a lot more than Eminem, Destiny's Child, and Puff Daddy (or P. Diddy, or whatever Sean Combs happens to be calling himself these days.) "Music
is the backbone of our magazine," says Jacklyn Monk, managing editor of Vibe magazine, "but there are many other things that permeate the lives of our readers _ like politics, the
arts, books, and business." So Vibe's seven million readers aren't your typical teens wearing hats backward with baggy pants. In fact, they are educated (half graduated from
college), adult (average age is 26) and on the rise (median income is $35,000). An economic power in the U.S., urban residents tend to spend more on entertainment, fashion, and
technology than their suburban counterparts and Vibe jams on all three. So it's is a likely magnet for urban dwellers steeped in "da cultcha."
Content/Contacts
If People and US Weekly get up-close and personal with celebrities, Vibe wants to get under their skin. A regular "Taster's Choice" column asks hip-hop's hot-shots to reveal
how their favorite books, artists, and movies have influenced their careers. The monthly also takes behind-the-scene forays into music, movies, and fashion. "Our reader is not
into superficial coverage," says Monk. "They want to see who's on the screen and, also, who's behind it."
You'll find more products plugged in Vibe than pointy-ears at a "Star Trek" convention. A regular readers' top ten list features everything from breath mints to Palm Pilots. A
technology column covering gadgets and video games is quite popular with the magazine's urban-dwelling readers who tend to be wired with the latest cell phones and two-way
pagers.
When it comes to music, Vibe reviews all the sounds of the city, from hip-hop to R&B to blues and jazz--it's the most widely read music mag after Rolling Stone. Vibe also
covers urban-influenced alternative acts like Rage Against the Machine and 311.
Pitch Tips
Email is best, faxes are all right but phone calls are unwelcome. Put releases and pitches in the text of emails because attachments can be unwieldy. Whatever you do, don't
pass along a virus; Monk's staff has been plagued by them recently.
Be up-front with what you can provide and deliver. "The worst thing a [PR person] can do is to promise something and not come through," says Monk. PR people have burned
staffers in the past by not preparing their clients well for interviews and photo shoots.
Beat contacts include:
Fashion Editor: Angela Arambulo, [email protected]
Music editor: Shani Saxon, [email protected]
News, Politics, Business: Brett Johnson, [email protected]
Entertainment: Rebecca Louie, [email protected]
Comments
Avoid pitching in the last week of the month; that's crunch-time for editors. Production involves four months of lead-time.
Vibe is expanding its coverage internationally, says Monk, ever looking to diversify its reader base. "We are not just reaching African Americans," says Monk. "People sometimes
peg us in one hole."
In The Pipeline
Vibe's typical reader, says Monk, is brand-conscious but always looking for the latest innovations in fashion and music. Offer editors something that could change the face of
pop culture and you could score some serious magazine space.
January revealed the magazine's first-ever Vibe awards, recognizing the hippest urban music-makers. Also, special issues are planned for fashion and technology. September marks
the title's eighth anniversary issue and will be it's biggest yet, featuring a list of the top 100 stars of urban culture. Last year the list featured Eminem, Dr. Dre, Carlos
Santana, and Oprah Winfrey.
One tip to keep in mind is that the hip-hop lifestyle permeates the nation. "We're doing a piece on rappers from the Midwest," Monk says. "We don't just cover the cities
everyone assumes--New York and L.A."