Rolling stone analysis http://www.rollingstone.com/ Rolling stone is a magazine which covers on popular culture and music, it was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Weiner and music critic Ralph J Gleason, In the 1990s the magazines focus shifted from music coverage and political articles to a youth based agenda enveloping youth TV, actors and popular music, this style is still used to this day. Rolling stone has an up to date website which offers readers a select number of recent and iconic articles from the magazines history. The website also offers reviews, blogs and downloadable MP3s such as interviews and soundbites from songs that are in development, the website now also features a back catalogue of issues and at one point had a message board but had to eventually taken down due to harassment via multiple conflicting pressure groups. The magazine uses convergence in the form of using one page in its magazine (print) to advertise content on their website. In order to keep up with the modern audiences the magazine also has Facebook and twitter pages. A unique thing which the magazine once did was set up its own restaurant with plans for a national chain of them in the USA being
established, sadly the idea was discontinued due to supposed unpopularity and mediocrity with the constant big giants of McDonalds, KFC and Burger king looming over them. The magazines target audience has aged and matured from the time when they changed focus back in the 90s and as a result the magazine has a mainly older nostalgic audience who read the magazine as a part of some sort of routine or tradition although they are still reading in teenagers-young adults. As a result of the maturity increasing the audience range goes from 18-24 as their target but many people over 24 read it due to a prior investment in the magazine. The magazine seems to also have a large grip on the college going audience due its rocky, rebellious nature. The website is also a big success unlike some other magazines websites with a monthly viewership of 22.9 million people which again illustrates the magazines vast and loyal reader base.