Abstract
This study explores media culture through the lens of tabloid media targeting Asian women, an area that has received limited attention in media studies. Launched around the 1960s, Japanese women’s weekly magazines have provided women with stories, often considered scandalous, of celebrities and the royal family and practical information on beauty, housekeeping, and hobbies, fostering interactivity through reader-submitted content. However, with the rise of digital media, these magazines are finding ways to survive in this era by disseminating information on their own platforms or social media. In fact, they are no longer “weekly” magazines as information is being updated on a daily basis. So, how are Japanese women’s weekly magazines attracting readers and building relationships with them in the digital age? This study analyzes the digital strategies of three current major women’s weekly magazines—”Shukan Josei”, “Josei Jishin”, and “Josei Seven,” focusing on the 1) content and arrangement of information provided online, 2) presence of online pages for reader participation, and 3) differences from the print version of the magazines. Preliminary findings suggest that, while the magazines provide information segmented by theme and aim to attract readers on an article-by-article basis, the interaction with and among readers through the web platform is limited. The magazines maintain their uniqueness as media outlets by emphasizing the traditional uniqueness of women’s weekly magazines, especially information on celebrities and the royal family, which has been inherited from the era of print-only media.
Presenters
Honoka KatoStudent, Ph.D. Candidate, International Christian University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
MEDIA CULTURES, MAGAZINES, GENDER, JAPAN
