Magazines, Newspapers, and Journals
What's the difference?
Magazines, newspapers, and journals can all be called periodicals - that is, they appear periodically; daily, weekly, monthly,
and quarterly are examples.
Beyond that, magazines and newspapers generally appeal to a wide audience and cover topics that are popular and/or newsworthy.
Magazine and newspaper articles are generally brief although some are feature articles that have been written in advance to give
in-depth information. Also, some magazine and newspaper articles summarize longer articles that have already appeared in journals.
Journals generally appeal to a more specific audience and are focused on one subject area. The articles are written by
subject specialists or researchers and offer analysis as well as factual content. Articles tend to be longer than those
in magazines or newspapers. Furthermore, journals can be divided into three types: scholarly journals, trade or
professional journals, and commentary or opinion journals.
Here are some distinctions among magazines, newspapers, and the three types of journals.
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Magazines
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Newspapers
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Scholarly Journals
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Trade/Professional Journals
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national news; sometimes local/ regional;
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local news; regional news; national news;
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research reports; primary sources; long, in-depth articles;
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developments within a field or specialty; product reviews; some long articles;
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analysis of timely and/or scholarly issues; book reviews; some long articles;
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for general audience;
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for general audience;
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for academic audience;
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for members of specific trades or professions;
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for educated audience;
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lots of photos and ads; glossy pages; color;
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photos and graphics; some color; many ads, some full-page;
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statistical tables; charts; graphs; few ads;
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industry related ads, some glossy;
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some illustrations and photos; ads for upscale items;
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written by hired writers & journalists;
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written by investigative reporters & journalists;
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written by experts, researchers & specialists;
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written by professionals in the field;
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written by essayists & professional writers;
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- Examples-magazines: Newsweek, Business Week, Rolling Stone, Vogue, Redbook, Sports Illustrated
- Examples-newspapers: Ann Arbor News, Detroit News, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post
- Examples-scholarly journals: Journal of Marriage and the Family, Nature, Nursing Outlook, American Literature
- Examples-trade/professional journals: Welding Journal, News Photographer, Restaurants & Institutions, Instructor
- Examples-commentary/opinion journals: Atlantic Monthly, Harpers, Nation, National Review, New Republic
With thanks to the librarians at Portland Community College's Library for this guide's concept.
© 2005 Washtenaw Community College
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