Conservative Magazine Aims At Fall Start

A new political and cultural magazine aimed at the political far right expects to have its first biweekly issue out by late September. But advertising may not play a big role at first.

The American Conservative was founded by former presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, New York Press columnist Taki Theodoracopulos and former New York Post editorial page editor/columnist Scott McConnell. The suburban Washington, D.C.,-based magazine will be published 24 times a year, start at 32 pages and have a base rate of around 15,000 to start.

Editor-in-Chief McConnell said the magazine targets the conservatives who are against open-border immigration and think the United States shouldn’t be involved in wars that don’t have much to do with our national interest. He said this point of view isn’t being represented by other conservative publications like The Weekly Standard, the National Review and the Wall Street Journal’s editorial page. McConnell said the natural readership includes people inspired by Buchanan’s runs at the Republican presidential nomination in 1992 and 1996, and his Reform Party 2000 presidential run. But it’s more than that, McConnell said.

“The disaffection with the conservative establishment goes deeper, much deeper,” he said. “[The American Conservative focuses] on an ideological void that needs to be filled.” General Manager James Schlesinger said the magazine believes it demographic to be politically active, affluent and about 70 percent male. “They’re going to have money to spend,” Schlesinger said of the demographic.

Like most political magazines from across the ideological spectrum, advertising isn’t expected to be a big part of the picture, at least in the beginning. “We aren’t planning on [a lot of] advertising coming in off the bat,” said Schlesinger.

The magazine hasn’t signed any advertisers yet, mostly because it hasn’t begun selling in earnest. Schlesinger said natural product categories include automotive, vacation-oriented and books that target traditional conservatives. Rates are being established at levels lower than what McConnell said its competition charge. A full-page ad will run $1,350; a back cover, $1,800. Discounts are available with frequency, Schlesinger said. A media kit is about a week away, Schlesinger said. In the beginning, The American Conservative won’t have a full-time dedicated sales representative. They’ll be hiring someone who sells other magazines at the same time, Schlesinger said.

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