“Magazines don’t exist anymore.” This rather damning statement was heard recently from a delegate at a National Year of Reading event in response to a keynote speaker extolling the virtues of magazines being a very useful and important medium for helping develop literacy and reading habits amongst young people.
An ‘industry voice’ piece like this in 2026 might very easily focus on the myriad ways publisher revenues and audiences are being eroded by algorithms, AI bots and unauthorised scraping and re-using of quality, high-value content. At FIPP (now part of WAN-IFRA), we are working hard to strive for actionable insights and practical guidance we can offer our members in this ever-changing landscape, and that remains a high priority for 2026 and beyond. However, quotes like that above should, I hope, provide challenge and inspiration for our industry especially in the context of helping to promote literacy, curiosity and independent learning. This piece will therefore focus on how we can rise to that challenge and showcase the importance of our work and the role we can play in shaping generations of readers and the audiences of tomorrow.
With social media bans for under 16s already in place in Australia and currently going through the Lords here in the UK and likely to follow in many other countries, publishers can and should grasp the mantle to provide high quality, trusted, authoritative media for children and young people that can improve health and education outcomes as well as bring opportunity for publishers across a range of diverse revenue streams.
Encourage reading
For the National Year of Reading in the UK, the government, along with a host of partners, including the PPA, has put together an impressive array of ambassadors, events and initiatives to encourage reading (for all ages) – with the emphasis on how reading can sharpen minds and fuel creativity. It centres on the premise that whatever one is into, there is reading that can be found in and around that topic, from sport to science, music to comedy. Magazines also play a central role in the marketing, and are featured heavily in the advertising creative. It is definitely worth checking out the full campaign online1, and the PPA has suggested various ways publishers can get directly involved2.
Magazines and comics are being cited as part of the solution to help get more people reading; they are accessible, engaging and inclusive, and they can be quickly and easily used in classrooms and at home. And yet, as with the quote cited above, far too often, we hear parents, teachers, experts and others bemoan the fact that magazines just aren’t as visible or readily available as they used to be.
This is surely a challenge that we, as an industry, cannot and should not ignore, and a myth that we need to dispel. Of course, the distribution models are changing, and our over reliance on supermarket shelves for visibility and sales has without doubt hastened the decline in mass sales, but our medium is very much still alive, and there are many ways we can continue to create great content that engages and inspires people young and old to read more widely and more often.
To that end, FIPP is working on an initiative that will aim to unite publishers the world over to help ensure all children have access to safe, trusted and enriching content, and that best practice is shared, standards are set and partnerships explored to the benefit of all.
Initially, the work will focus on setting standards, on access and adoption, insights and finally, accreditation.
FIPP will work with industry experts, educationalists and publishers to set a ‘gold standard’ for children’s media. This will cover human creativity and design, verified sourcing, data responsibility and child-safe design. Setting this standard will raise the bar, highlight the excellent work already done by publishers in this space and give them a ‘kitemark’ that can be trusted by partners, educators and parents as they look to provide safe and trustworthy materials to aid in literacy, knowledge and cultural development. The fact that only 18% of teens can correctly distinguish between news, opinion, and advertising (the reverse of this is even worse – 82% cannot!3) only goes to underscore why this level of trusted, human created content is paramount, and having a universally accepted standard and kitemark system will help publishers to stand out, underline the value of their work and provide access to partners and opportunities beyond their ‘normal’ distribution channels.
Improving access
Which leads to access and adoption. We need to reframe the conversation around discoverability, particularly for magazines. There is still a persistent myth that magazines are no longer available or relevant, when in reality, the challenge is not demand, but access.
As an industry, we have an opportunity (and a responsibility) to bring magazines into new spaces, through thoughtful partnerships with organisations that already have a trusted relationship with young audiences. These collaborations not only improve access, but also help reposition magazines as a valid, rich and engaging form of reading.
The National Year of Reading provides a powerful example of what is possible. The decision to create a special edition magazine reflects a real appetite for the periodical format. Through strong partnerships and shared purpose, kids’ magazine Storytime has produced a special issue with a print run of over 800,000 copies with the Reading Agency, reaching every school and library across the UK. It’s a reminder of both the scale and the impact magazines can have when placed directly in the hands of readers.
Importantly, this is about building sustainable models that combine quality content, responsible production, and meaningful distribution. When done well, these initiatives create trust, visibility, and long-term value for both the audience and the brand. As publishers, we have a role to play in setting that agenda, by working together, sharing approaches that work, and creating pathways that allow magazines to reach the audiences who will benefit most from them.
In turn, we will look to commission research and better understand how Gen Alpha interact and engage with content, monitor their trust in media and their experience on different platforms and media. These insights will be shared amongst members and made available to publishers keen to explore and learn from one another, ensuring a stronger ecosystem, a unified approach and faster, more effective routes to market for publishers and partners alike.
Finally, we will work to develop a professional accreditation scheme for publishers, editors, journalists, designers and others in this space – recognising the importance of producing high-quality, trusted media for children and young people and the specific skills needed to do so, to consistently and effectively impact literacy and learning outcomes for children and young people. Again, by setting standards, providing accreditation and recognising excellence, we can hope to raise standards, build opportunities for publishers and increase value all round.
Time for action
Either way, we need to act – and there is real, meaningful growth ahead for publishers who choose to step into this space with intention. There is strong evidence that younger generations are actively seeking balance – looking to step away from screens and reconnect with more mindful, offline experiences. At the same time, there is a wider recognition that we need to counter the flood of low-quality, “AI slop” that risks eroding both trust and creativity. This is where publishing has a powerful role to play.
It is high time that we, as publishers, do more to address this, look at the incredible assets and skills most of us already have in-house, and start to approach the market in new ways, look for opportunities and start to dispel some of the myths that “magazines just don’t exist any more”. They do, and they are still inspiring readers young and old. If our industry is to have a future and our businesses survive, we need to ensure we are doing all we can to find, inspire, and engage the next generations of readers – and magazines, and other multimodal kids’ media, have a vital role to play in making that happen.
If you’re already working in children’s media, we salute you and would love you to join the conversation. We invite you to get in touch with us at FIPP to find out more about our working group and how to get involved in what comes next.
And if you’re not yet in this space, but have content, archives or ideas that could lend themselves to educational, entertaining or meaningful experiences for young audiences, this is a wonderful moment to explore them. Whether through one-off specials, thoughtful partnerships, or collaborations with brands or commercial bodies, there are many ways to begin, and we’d encourage you to get the ball rolling.
There is a real opportunity here not just for media businesses today, but for the future of our industry and the generations served by the great magazine media. Creating meaningful media for children and young people is one of the most powerful ways we can help build lifelong reading habits, stronger literacy, and a lasting connection to quality content. At FIPP, we are dedicated to supporting our members in exploring this space and finding growth opportunities, as well as helping them shape what comes next. If we get this right, we will have better and healthier businesses, while also building future audiences.
We would love to continue this conversation with you: reach out to learn more, or join us in Madrid in October for FIPP Congress where you will be able to connect with other members and share your experiences in this space.
Footnotes
This article was first published in InPublishing magazine. If you would like to be added to the free mailing list to receive the magazine, please register here.
