• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, December 24, 2009

A total of 369 magazines folded in 2009, per a MediaFinder finding a few weeks ago. To its annual tally of launched and expired magazines can be added one certain casualty, I.D., and another likely casualty -- Need -- which seems destined for the big recycling bin in the sky barring a last-minute intervention.

After cutting back its frequency to bimonthly in May, the forward-thinking design-oriented I.D. closed Dec. 16, while quarterly Need -- which covers humanitarian issues and philanthropy -- will close at the end of January unless it finds new funding, deemed unlikely in a Folio: interview.

These are just the latest in a long casualty list of magazines closed in 2009 -- a total of 433, if you include 64 titles that ceased print publication to go online-only. MediaFinder noted that this number is actually down from previous years -- 526 in 2008, 573 in 2007 -- but the victims include a larger proportion of big titles. Among the high-profile magazines to close this year were Country Home, Teen, Wondertime, Domino (January), Hallmark (February), Best Life and Blender (March), Portfolio (April), Nickelodeon and Vibe (June), Southern Accents (August), Gourmet, Cookie, Modern Bride, and Elegant Bride (October), Fortune Small Business, Metropolitan Home (November) and National Geographic Adventure (December).

Some titles closed shortly after their debut, including the print version of Rick Warren's Purpose-Driven Connection, which went online-only, and Mountain Time, Forbes' lifestyle magazine targeting the ritzy ski resort jet set. Niche titles that met their demise included two urban lifestyle titles, Urb and Giant, and two LGBT titles, Genre and The Advocate. Niche sports titles removed from play included Travel + Leisure Golf, and Tennis Week.

2009 also claimed a number of well-known and highly regarded trade publications, including Radio & Records, Editor & Publisher, and Kirkus Reviews; in May Television Week folded its print edition and went online-only.

Electronic Gaming Monthly to Relaunch in March

Not every magazine that closes is gone for good: just consider Electronic Gaming Monthly, closed by Ziff Davis Media a year ago, which is supposed to resume publication beginning with a relaunched April edition (set to hit the newsstands in March). According to Folio:, the magazine's founder, Steve Harris, is working to revive the groundbreaking game geek guide. After encountering some delays, Harris pushed the date to the end of the first quarter in 2010; however, much of the footwork is already done, including the hiring of an ad sales team and a newsstand marketing and distribution agreement with Time/Warner Retail Sales & Marketing.

Roar No More: Golf Digest Axes Tiger Column

Another media company has turned its back on Tiger Woods, with the announcement from Golf Digest that it is suspending the monthly column by Woods that appeared in the magazine. The Golf Digest suspension follows the example of various corporate sponsors, including Gillette and Accenture, which withdrew their sponsorships (at least temporarily) during the media frenzy triggered by the revelation that Woods had extramarital affairs with as many as 17 women. Studies suggest that anywhere from a quarter to half of American men and women have engaged in extramarital affairs at some point in their lives.

Smithsonian Preps Special Cultural Travel Magazine

Smithsonian is preparing a special edition devoted to "cultural travel" in partnership with travel author, television host, syndicated columnist and radio personality Rick Steves, who will be the sole author in the issue. With a newsstand distribution of 100,000 as well as a digital edition, the special issue is set to debut in early May 2010 with a cover price of $5.99. The Smithsonian magazine Web site is creating complementary content, including audio guides, video and images from Steves' travels. Advertising sales for the special issue are open until March 15.