Magazines aren’t dying—just ask these indie publishers

Earlier this year, Mike Rogge, editor and owner of indie outdoor magazine Mountain Gazette, turned down an ad package that would have boosted ad revenue in 2024 by 20% to 25% per issue. It would have been the magazine’s biggest ad package ever.  “We didn’t think culturally it was a good fit,” Rogge says. “The agency representing that brand was dumbfounded.” To most in the publishing business, the deal would have been a financial no-brainer. And in an economic environment where...