Woman's Day (Australian magazine)

Woman's Day
A front cover of Woman's Day from May 2014, featuring Hugh Jackman on the cover
Woman's Day magazine from 2014
EditorJoshua Joynes
CategoriesWomen's magazine
FrequencyWeekly
Circulation320,398 (July – September 2014)[1]
PublisherAre Media[2]
Founded1948; 77 years ago (1948)
First issue16 August 1948
CompanyAre Media[2]
CountryAustralia
Based inSydney
LanguageEnglish
Websitewww.nowtolove.com.au/womansday Edit this at Wikidata
ISSN0043-7328

Woman's Day is an Australian women's magazine published by Are Media.[2] It is one of Australia's most widely read weekly magazines as of June 2023.[1][3][4]

History and profile

Woman's Day, in Australia, was founded on August 16, 1948. The magazine focused on celebrity stories, fashion trends, creative cooking, advice, fiction, medical tips and current events. The first cover was artwork featuring a child offering up a pink hyacinth snipped from her mother's favorite pot plant, sending a message to readers to "come and join the fun".[5]

In 1950 the magazine gained Alice Mabel Jackson, previously employed by The Australian Women's Weekly, as an editor. Jackson moved to Melbourne to take on this role.[6]

Originally printed and published by Joseph Swanson Wilkinson of Toorak, Victoria for Cologravure Publications (The Herald & Weekly Times Limited),[7] the magazine subsequently became part of ACP Magazines. ACP Magazines was owned by Nine Entertainment Co, which owns Australian television network Nine Network. Because of this, Woman's Day often featured many stories either based on or in partnership with a Nine Network program, such as A Current Affair. The magazine became part of Bauer Media Group in 2012,[8] after Nine Entertainment Co experienced financial difficulties. Woman's Day is published weekly by Bauer Media Pty Limited and is headquartered in Sydney.[9]

Aimed at women aged 25 to 54,[10] it includes news, gossip, interviews, lifestyle and recipes.

Sales figures, readership and advertising revenue have fallen significantly, down from 405,000 weekly sales in 2010 to 330,000 in March 2014.[11] Readership fell another 14.6% in the year ended 2014.[12]

In early April 2020, Bauer Media Australia announced that it would be closing Woman's Day as well as several Australian and New Zealand brands including The Australian Women's Weekly and New Zealand Woman's Weekly in response to the economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia and New Zealand.[13][14][15]

On June 17, 2020, Australian investment company Mercury Capital acquired Woman's Day as part of its purchase of Bauer Media's Australian and New Zealand assets.[16][17]

In late September 2020, Mercury Capital rebranded Bauer Media as Are Media.[18][2]

Controversies

In 2007, the magazine settled out of court with New Zealand television presenter Charlotte Dawson, who had sued the magazine over its coverage of her divorce.[19]

The magazine underwent significant layoffs in 2008.[20]

In November 2013, Woman's Day came under fire from its readers after a story featuring Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, took issue with her appearance by comparing a photo of her before having her baby and after with the headline "What's happened to Kate?" Criticism suggested that women who have just had a baby often look tired, and she was not wearing makeup in the second image like she was in the first.[21]

In 2014, television presenter Grant Denyer began legal proceedings against the magazine after it claimed he and his wife were in a rehab facility in Thailand for methamphetamine addiction. Denyer claimed they had visited a rehab facility, but it was not for drug issues, and reaffirmed they did not have a drug addiction. The magazine backed the story saying Denyer's friends were their sources for the story.[22]

In 2014, Woman's Day was criticized on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Media Watch, in which it was described as "garbage journalism" for the use of sensationalist headlines and content.[23]

References

  1. ^ a b "Woman's Day Australia's highest selling weekly magazine brand". MPA. Retrieved 30 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b c d "Rebrand and Relaunch: Australasia's Bauer Media now titled Are Media". StopPress. 28 September 2020. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  3. ^ "ABCs: Weekly magazines struggle with Zoo leading declines". Mumbrella. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  4. ^ "Australian Magazine Readership, 12 months to June 2023".
  5. ^ Woman's Day 60th Birthday "Diamond Anniversary" issue, August 2008, held by author.
  6. ^ Radi, Heather, "Alice Mabel Jackson (1887–1974)", Australian Dictionary of Biography, Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, retrieved 28 October 2023
  7. ^ From author's first issue of Woman's Day Magazine.
  8. ^ Merja Myllylahti (23 November 2012). "JMAD New Zealand Media Ownership Report 2012" (PDF). JMAD. Retrieved 1 November 2016. [dead link‍]
  9. ^ "Factsheet. Women's Day". Publicitas. Retrieved 29 October 2016.
  10. ^ "Woman's Day". Bauer Media Group. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  11. ^ Audited Media Association of Australia April 2014
  12. ^ Roy Morgan research 'Australian Magazine Readership 12 months to Dec 2014'
  13. ^ Edmunds, Susan; Nadkarni, Anuja; Cookes, Henry (2 April 2020). "Govt 'could have given half-a-million' to help Bauer but publisher didn't want it, Faafoi says". Stuff. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  14. ^ "Covid 19 coronavirus: Bauer Media closing - publisher of the Listener, Woman's Day, North & South". The New Zealand Herald. 2 April 2020. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  15. ^ "Covid-19: Major magazine publisher Bauer Media closing down". Radio New Zealand. 2 April 2020. Archived from the original on 2 April 2020. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  16. ^ Kelly, Vivienne. "Bauer has left the building. What next for magazines in Australia?". Mumbrella. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  17. ^ Whyte, Jemina (19 June 2020). "Magazine buyer writes new story". Australian Financial Review. Archived from the original on 23 June 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  18. ^ Blackiston, Hannah (28 September 2020). "Bauer Media rebrands as Are Media". Mumbrella. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020. Retrieved 30 September 2020.
  19. ^ "Defamed Dawson collects payment". The New Zealand Herald. 23 May 2007. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  20. ^ Tabakoff, Nick (14 October 2008). "ACP magazine job cuts my doing, says PBL chief". The Australian. Retrieved 8 November 2008.
  21. ^ "Woman's Day story about Kate Middleton looking tired prompts angry response". News Corp Australia. 20 November 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  22. ^ "Grant Denyer's manager says witness accusing TV presenter of ice addiction is a 'liar and a fraud'". News Corp Australia. 27 February 2014. Retrieved 1 June 2014.
  23. ^ ABC Media Watch 7/7/14