ew.com
There are magazines that have transcended their status as sources of just current events. A select few publications have risen up over the years to become nothing short of institutions of pop culture. These rare magazines have managed to stand the test of time, remaining relevant for decades. I'm talking about Rolling Stone, Time, People, New Yorker, Playboy, and National Geographic - those outlets that you just can't imagine not existing.
There are a few common factors between all of the magazines I mentioned. For one, they all quickly earned reputations for themselves as being of high quality writers. All of these magazines have featured legendary writers at one point or another, and all of their contributors at the very least create fascinating, well written, and unique articles. You can't expect to become a pillar of publication without stellar literary contributions!
Some of these magazines, such as Rolling Stone and New Yorker, created a strong brand from the beginning. They all had a unique vision that was appreciated by readers. Without branding, people may not have been interested in picking up these magazines. People judge magazines based on the cover and these magazines did well because they had an iconic public image.
Another magazine I haven't mentioned yet is Entertainment Weekly. Although this one is different from the majority of the others in the list - they don't cover news or politics or offer up what most people would refer to as "literature?" by any means - they are no less a magazine with a rich legacy. A legacy that they've managed to successfully carry with them into the digital age.
Entertainment Weekly is doing a great job of keeping up with the demand for its content on social media. They constantly produce new content about the world's favorite celebrities, and it seems to be easy for them to keep up with the latest trends. Some 20th-century publications struggle to keep up with this demand, but Entertainment Weekly seems to have been made for the 21st century.
History
Entertainment Weekly was published on February 16th of 1990, actually. It was a sister magazine to the already insanely popular magazine, People, and as such, it offered a more mainstream-ready glimpse at pop culture icons than its sister publication did (often steeped in more elaborately in-depth features, profiles, and interviews). It could be said that Entertainment Weekly was something like People - an express way to see popular culture.
Entertainment Weekly was created by famed journalist Jeff Jarvis and first published in 1996. It has been described as a consumer guide to popular culture, including movies, music, and book reviews, sometimes with video game and stage reviews, too. In recent years, the magazine has lost sight of some of its higher-brow concerns (such as book and theater reviews) and has become more of a celebrity gossip rag. However, we'll get to that in more detail later on.
Nonetheless, the magazine Entertainment Weekly was well-received upon its initial publication. In 1996, it won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence, which is handed out annually by the American Society of Magazine Editors. In fact, they took home the same award again in 2002, which speaks volumes to the magazine's ability to consistently flourish over decades and into the new millennium.
Entertainment Weekly teamed up with its sister publication, People, in order to launch People and Entertainment Weekly Network - a free online video network that is supported by ads and streams both short and long-form content surrounding celebrity news, lifestyle concerns, pop culture, and human interest stories. The network was rebranded as People TV (which has a much better ring to it, does it not?) in September 2017.
Since August of 2019, Entertainment Weekly has transitioned to a monthly model. However, they are not rebranding as Entertainment Monthly. The website, ew.com, continues to publish content constantly, regardless of periodical time constraints.
Design
Speaking of the website, I really like the way that Ew.com is designed. It has a sharp and minimalist look to it. It is very sparse (in a good way) with its white background, black text, and occasional pops of color from Entertainment Weekly's iconic sky-blue logo. It is a gentle and calming news site layout, easily guiding the eye where it needs to be.
The website is easy to navigate and contains recent stories, featured stories, and a menu bar at the top. You can browse the site by interest: TV, Movies, Music, Books, Theater, Podcasts, Events, Celebrities, and Awards.
Content
EW.com offers a wide variety of content, including text and video content. Almost every article is accompanied by a relevant video (some, however, are more relevant than others). You can also subscribe for the monthly hard copy of Entertainment Weekly here if you wish, order past issues, sign up for the EW newsletter, enter sweepstakes, and keep up with awards season by visiting Ew.com. There is a great mix of content here, something for everyone if you ask me.
Desktop and Mobile Experience
I enjoy the website's in-browser experience. I think it looks sharp, there are plenty of interactive and immersive features, and it is sophisticatedly understated. The app, on the other hand, I do not think is as polished. Instead of making the app in the same clean-cut and streamlined fashion, the design is basically just like opening up an issue of Entertainment Weekly magazine but on your phone.
I think the app looks pretty bad on mobile. There are only a few layouts to choose from, and it definitely doesn't compare to the desktop site. It has an average rating of 3.3 stars on the Apple App Store, though, so apparently a lot of people agree with me.
Pricing and Plans
Is the site free to use? Yes, without any pesky paywalls or subscription fees. As far as subscribing to the magazine is concerned, it's a fair price. You can either pay per month (per issue) for only $2.99 (recurring until canceled), or save some money and pay per year ($24.99). These prices aren't bad at all for a hard-copy magazine of this stature.
Suggestions that I have for Entertainment Weekly
I think that EW should dig deeper when writing articles. Sometimes it's difficult to come up with profound or poignant content on a daily basis, but I think that they could try for a little more thought-provoking writing style. Although EW is better than, say, the Hollywood Reporter, I still think that they could work on developing a more thoughtful style overall.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a reputable and dependable source of entertainment news, Entertainment Weekly is one of the best sites out there. Additionally, if you're a fan of physical copies of monthly periodicals, EW has one of the best deals on the market. You won't find much in the way of deeply considered, thought-provoking content, but if you want to ensure that you never miss a pop culture beat, Entertainment Weekly is the way to go.
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