JPG Magazine Shuts Down

[Ben Chase]

Not sure how many here were subscribers or followed the mag, but I just got an e-mail (follows below):

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Today is a particularly sad day for all of us at JPG and 8020 Media.

We've spent the last few months trying to make the business behind JPG sustain itself, and we've reached the end of the line. We all deeply believe in everything JPG represents, but we just weren't able to raise the money needed to keep JPG alive in these extraordinary economic times. We sought out buyers, spoke with numerous potential investors, and pitched several last-ditch creative efforts, all without success. As a result, jpgmag.com will shut down on Monday, January 5, 2009.

The one thing we've been the most proud of: your amazing talent. We feel honored and humbled to have been able to share jpgmag.com with such a dynamic, warm, and wonderful community of nearly 200,000 photographers. The photography on the website and in the magazine was adored by many, leaving no doubt that this community created work of the highest caliber. The kindness, generosity, and support shared among members made it a community in the truest sense of the word, and one that we have loved being a part of for these past two years.

We wish we could have found a way to leave the site running for the benefit of the amazing folks who have made JPG what it is, and we have spent sleepless nights trying to figure something out, all to no avail. Some things you may want to do before the site closes:

- Download the PDFs of back issues, outtakes, and photo challenge selections. We'll always have the memories! www.jpgmag.com/downloads/archives.html
- Make note of your favorite photographers. You may want to flip through your favorites list and jot down names and URLs of some of the people you'd like to stay in touch with. You may even want to cut and paste your contacts page into a personal record.
- Catch up with your fellow members. Our roots are in this humble flickr forum and we recommend going back to find fellow members, discuss the situation, or participate in another great photo community. www.flickr.com/groups/jpgmag/
- Keep in touch. This has always been much more than just a job to each of us, and we'll miss you guys! We'll be checking the account jpgletters@gmail.com in our free time going forward. We can't promise to reply to every email (since we'll be busy tuning up our resumes) but we'd love to hear from you.
- Stay posted. Although the magazine is ceasing publication, we'll be updating you on what's happening with your subscription early next week.

We're soggy-eyed messes, but it is what it is. At that, JPGers, we bid you goodbye, and good luck in 2009 and the future.

Laura Brunow Miner
Editor in Chief

[walter23]

Whoah, I wish I'd heard of that magazine before.

I had an idea about a year ago to start up something much like that. I guess it's true that almost anything one can think of has probably been done at least once.

[tpersin]

considering the history of JPG I'm not sure I'm surprised.....

http://powazek.com/posts/534

maybe the founders will pick up some pieces and run with them.....

[Ben Chase]

considering the history of JPG I'm not sure I'm surprised.....

http://powazek.com/posts/534

maybe the founders will pick up some pieces and run with them.....

Good read - thanks for that.

[David Spivak-Focus Magazine]

Interesting. I considered doing business with them a couple of years ago. Through a few discussions and a couple of arguments with my old editor, I decided not to persue it any further. I dont have any of the e-mails any longer, but Laura does sound like a familiar name. I'm sorry to see yet another photography magazine on newsstands bite the dust. Whatever their backstory is, they were still providing a service to photography enthusiasts.

I very highly doubt that they will be the last magazine to bite the dust by the end of the year.

Radar and PC Magazine have both ceased print publications and they were well funded.

Interestingly enough, the publishers of B&W Magazine are planning to launch a color magazine called... COLOR.

http://www.bandwmag.com/color/color.html

[vickersdc]

These sure are interesting times - many magazines are reporting increased sales as people seem to be reluctant to give up their little 'treat' during the current global(?) recession, and yet others are having difficulties.

Whatever happens, it's important to support those magazines which in themselves support the [photographic] community, for that is what we are and if we want to keep the knowledge, expertise and inspiration that these magazines bring us then we need to keep paying the subscriptions / submitting the articles / providing the images.

David.

[Frank Petronio]

It was a lame idea. They couldn't make a go of it even with free content. When your audience is internet users, the only people purchasing the magazine were the people who got published and wanted a tearsheet.

[vickersdc]

It was a lame idea. They couldn't make a go of it even with free content. When your audience is internet users, the only people purchasing the magazine were the people who got published and wanted a tearsheet.

It's as true as it ever was with any business, that even with the support that you need as a business, if your business model isn't working for you, then it's not looking good.

I also feel obliged to point out that I know nothing of JPGs business model and the above statement is intended as a general comment. Other magazine are available...

[Brian_A]

Got this in my Inbox this morning. Yippy.

From: 8020 Media

We couldn't ask for a better community. In the week or so since our last email, the outpour of support has exceeded our wildest expectations. Your efforts, such as starting savejpg.com, writing blog posts, commenting on Twitter and Flickr, and generally making your voices heard, have provided exciting new opportunities for us.

We're thrilled to say that because of you, we have multiple credible buyers interested in giving JPG a home. We will be keeping the site up after all, and hope to have a final update in the next week or so on who the acquirer will be. Thank you for making all of this possible.

Laura Brunow Miner
Editor in Chief

[vickersdc]

How cool is that! That just shows the power of the photographic community