“Does life have meaning? » In view of the dramatic events of recent weeks, the question deserves reflection, and it is on the front page that Philosophy magazine the pose. For its new format, on newsstands Thursday October 26, the monthly does not change anything in its editorial line: “illuminating the news of the world and our lives through philosophy”.
On the other hand, many things have evolved for the magazine classified IPG (political and general information press, like Paris Match Or Telerama) and launched in 2006. Starting with the outlines of the Philo Editions group (Philosophy Magazine, In France ; the pure player Philonomist, in Germany), which owns it. In July, it merged with the Auxerre group Sciences Humaines Communication (Social science And The Humanologist), which became its subsidiary. In addition to these titles and sites, the two partners bring together their publishing activities.
“With the rise in the price of paper and the difficulties linked to the disappearance of kiosks, we had to be innovative”, justify the founder and director of the monthly, Fabrice Gerschel, as well as its delegated editor, Laurent Laborie. The retirement of Jean-François Dortier, co-founder of Social science in 1990, provided the two small independent groups with the opportunity to pool the management of their businesses (support functions, advertising, digital development, diversification), while leaving their independence to the four editorial staff.
In total, the group now brings together a little over fifty people (German subsidiary of Philosophy Magazine included), half of whom have a press card. Either “one of the largest editorial journals of ideas in the world”affirm its managers, who announce a turnover of 10 million euros.
Model “more beautiful, more readable and more airy”
With a paid distribution in France of 33,372 copies in 2022-2023, according to the Alliance for Press and Media Figures (ACPM), sales of Philosophy Magazine progress slightly (+ 1.39% compared to 2021-2022), but “7% on the kiosk alone” in 2022, they specify. Paid digital subscribers have moved on “from 6,000 to 15,000 in three years”.
For his part, Social science would have sold 28,000 copies per publication in 2022, an increase of 6% – data not certified by the ACPM. Equipped with a new formula in January, the magazine will benefit from increased pagination and some progressive adjustments, its major files getting a makeover from January 2024.
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