Magazine Enterprise 360, a brand-new blog devoted to magazine publishing, the other day took on the question that's on the minds of many: are magazines dead? Hershel Sarbin, an industry legend and
the blog's cofounder, argues definitely not. The medium is changing in response to the Web, but the essential character of magazines remains intact, Sarbin says. In some ways, they're as valuable as
ever. What's essential at this moment is that magazine editors--not readers --lead the way. "Where I come from editors lead! They often make readers reach for Excellence," Sarbins writes. "Of course
we write differently, or reshape content, for the needs of different platforms. Let's take those writers and editors who practice Essence Journalism on the Web. Was it the consumer who demanded that,
or the insights of editors with respect to the medium? On the question of 'How magazines connect with the increasingly demanding consumer,' I tend to put my money on editorial imagination and
journalistic discipline from cover to cover."
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