Portland Monthly

Infobox Magazine
title = Portland Monthly


image_size = 150px
image_caption = January 2008 issue
editor = Ted Katauskas
editor_title = Editor
previous_editor = Louise Lague
Russ Rymer
Scott Vogel
staff_writer =
frequency = Monthly
circulation = 56,000 (2005)
category = City magazine
company =
publisher = Nicole Vogel
firstdate = November 2003
country = United States
based = Portland, Oregon
language = English
website = [http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/ portlandmonthlymag.com]
issn = 1546-2765

"Portland Monthly" (also referred to as "Portland Monthly Magazine") is a monthly news and general interest magazine which covers events and culture in Portland, Oregon. The magazine was co-founded in 2003 by siblings Nicole and Scott Vogel. Nicole had previously worked for Cendant Corporation and Time Warner, and Scott had been a journalist at "The New York Times". Though the magazine had some trouble with funding in its first year, it grew to a stable circulation of 56,000 and by 2006 was the seventh-largest city magazine in the United States.

The magazine's current editor is Ted Katauskas. The "Portland Monthly" has received generally positive reception in other new publications, including a mixed review of the magazine's first issue in "The Columbian", and subsequent positive reviews in "The Oregonian" and "The Seattle Times". Rachel Dresbeck wrote favorably of the magazine in her 2007 book "Insiders' Guide to Portland, Oregon".

History

First year

The magazine was co-founded in 2003 by Nicole Vogel and her brother journalist Scott Vogel,cite news | last =Boyer | first =Tom | title =Seattle will get new magazine come spring; Portland publisher announces plans | work =The Seattle Times | page =E1 | date =August 25, 2005 ] and began as a glossy magazine with a focus on the lifestyle of Portland. [cite news | last =Row | first =D.K. | title =D.K.'s Hot Sheet The Latest - And Perhaps Last - Issue of The Organ | work =The Oregonian | page =25 | publisher =Oregonian Publishing Co | date =December 24, 2004] Nicole Vogel had previously been a vice president at Cendant Corporation, and had worked at Time Warner for five years and was a vice president at CNN. Scott Vogel had previously worked as a journalist for "The New York Times".cite news | last =Allen | first =Angela | title =Chic Talk: West Elm's goods span Generations X and Y | work =The Columbian | page =D1 | publisher =The Columbian Publishing Co | date =October 23, 2003 ] The niche market focus of the magazine was for "25- to 65-year-olds with household incomes of at least $100,000". Nicole Vogel used "Texas Monthly" as one of her models for the magazine, which she had read growing up in Texas. Planning and research for the magazine included conducting 200 interviews with residents of Portland, in addition to raising US$40,000 from angel investors.

Nicole Vogel had previously sought out seed capital from investors at the Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum in February 2003, [cite news | last =Nicholas | first =Jonathan | title =Sitting Pretty in Pink | work =The Oregonian | page =C1 | publisher =Oregonian Publishing Co | date =February 3, 2003] and in total raised less than $1 million from investors. One of the first investors in "Portland Monthly" was the "Women’s Investors Network", a Portland-based group of women-investors which is part of the Oregon Entrepreneurs' Foundation. [cite news | last =Enochs | first =Liz | title =Women Angels Fill Funding Gap | work =RedHerring.com | date =January 2, 2006 | url =http://www.redherring.com/Home/pages/print/posts/?bid=1617b449-1416-4d96-a655-8aa5981139d1&mode=Full | accessdate = 2008-09-13 ] A formal gathering was held on September 27, 2003 at the Portland Armory to celebrate the launch of the magazine, [cite news | last =Nicholas | first =Jonathan | title =Saturday Night Drama it Was Like Going to a Really Weird Wedding | work =The Oregonian | page =D1 | publisher =Oregonian Publishing Co | date =September 29, 2003] and the magazine debuted September 29, 2003. [cite news | last =Nakamura | first =Beth Bergman | title =Portland Monthly Magazine | work =The Oregonian | page =D1 | publisher =Oregonian Publishing Co | date =September 29, 2003 ] The first issue was 104 pages, and due to initial funding issues the magazine appeared bimonthly for the first year.cite news | last =Yim | first =Su-jin | title =Misc. Review Portland's Got a Brand-New Mag | work =The Oregonian | page =D1 | publisher =Oregonian Publishing Co | date =September 29, 2003 ] 40,000 copies were produced for the first issue. The first issue was dedicated to the theme: "Why We Love This Town". The magazine was profitable in its first year and brought in $1 million in revenue.

2004 - present

Scott Vogel served as the magazine's first editor-in-chief, [cite news | last =Preusch | first =Matthew | title =Portland Journal: A City Proud of Its Underbelly Slims Down and Tones Up | work =The New York Times | page =14 | publisher =The New York Times Company | date =December 1, 2003 ] and left "Portland Monthly" in late 2004 to join the "The Washington Post".cite news | last =Strom | first =Shelly | title =Portland Monthly dodges the curse | work =Portland Business Journal | publisher =American City Business Journals, Inc | date =January 28, 2005 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2005/01/31/story4.html | accessdate = 2008-09-13 ] Russ Rymer served as the magazine's editor after Scott Vogel left, but he left in February 2005 to become editor of "Mother Jones".cite news | last =Van Gelder | first =Lawrence | title =Arts, Briefly | work =The New York Times | page =B8 | publisher =The New York Times Company | date =January 15, 2005|url=http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B04EED61438F936A25752C0A9639C8B63|accessate=2008-09-13] After Rymer the magazine went to "employment contracts" for editors. Journalist Louise Lague became the next editor-in-chief of the magazine on April 11, 2005.cite news | last =Staff | title =Portland Monthly chooses new editor | work =Portland Business Journal | publisher =American City Business Journals, Inc | date =March 23, 2005 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2005/03/21/daily27.html | accessdate = 2008-09-13 ] In 2005 the magazine maintained a staff of 22 in addition to hiring freelancers. In August 2005 the "Portland Magazine" purchased a local magazine related to weddings, the "Portland Bride and Groom", which was founded in 2001.cite news | last =Staff | title =Portland Monthly buys magazine | work =Portland Business Journal | publisher =American City Business Journals, Inc | date =August 22, 2005 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2005/08/22/daily5.html | accessdate = 2008-09-13 ] "Portland Monthly"'s style editor Jill Spitznass became the editor of the "Portland Bride and Groom". Ted Katauskas, who had formerly worked as managing editor of "Portland Magazine", was promoted to the magazine's editor-in-chief in August 2005. Katauskas is the fifth employee of the company.

Circulation of the "Portland Monthly" in 2005 numbered 56,000, and in 2006 paid circulation was 56,000 with an additional 18,000 to 22,000 sold on newsstands.cite news | last =Richman | first =Dan | title =New Magazine is Throwing a Splashy Coming Out Party | work =Seattle Post-Intelligencer | page =C1 | date =February 25, 2006 |url=http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/260830_magazine25.html|accessdate=2008-09-13 ] In February 2006 the magazine was the seventh-largest city magazine in the United States. The magazine has reported on the effects of methamphetamine abuse in Oregon, and Enron's usage of the electric utility in Portland. The magazine maintains a website at www.portlandmonthlymag.com, [cite news | last =Johnson | first =Sharon | title =Spicing up your life can be healthy | work =Mail Tribune | publisher =Southern Oregon Media Group | date =February 12, 2008 | url =http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080212/LIFE/802120308 | accessdate = 2008-09-13 ] and includes the first few paragraphs of selected articles on the site. [cite news | last =Richardson | first =Dan | title =A Big Week for the Cascade Locks Casino | work =NewWest - Columbia Gorge | publisher =NewWest | date =March 6, 2006 | url =http://www.newwest.net/index.php/city/article/6733/C426/L426 | accessdate = 2008-09-13 ] Ted Katauskas serves as current editor of the magazine.cite news | last =Staff | title =Memoir shares story of woman's renewed hope | work =Statesman Journal | page =7D | date =June 15, 2008 ] [cite news | last =Mundie | first =Jessica | title =Fall Kicks Off With State Championship Series | work =St. Petersburg Times | page =4 | date =September 26, 2007|url=http://www.sptimes.com/2007/09/26/Sports/Fall_kicks_off_with_s.shtml|accessdate=2008-09-13 ]

Reception

Writing for "The Columbian", Angela Allen commented that the first issue of the magazine "shows attitude and literary writing, tosses off lots of names, does a terrific fall culture calendar and digs into a couple of issues, including the Trail Blazers", but was also critical, noting: "Its design is crowded and the type is too small to read for most of us without wearing a pair of 'reader' specs." Tom Boyer of "The Seattle Times" described the magazine as "a smart mix of reader-friendly features and award-winning journalism". Writing in "The Oregonian", Steve Duin commented that he appreciated the lists published in the magazine: "Because I'm addicted to lists -- and the bigger the better -- the best part of my month is the morning that copy of Portland Monthly lands like a wounded halibut on my desk."cite news | last =Duin | first =Steve | title =Fleshing out Portland by the numbers | work =The Oregonian | page =C1 | publisher =Oregonian Publishing Co | date =March 30, 2006]

The magazine won three awards in the City and Regional Magazine Association's 20th Annual National City and Regional Magazine Awards in 2005, receiving recognition in Civic Journalism, Excellence in Writing and General Excellence. The magazine was one of three companies nominated by the Oregon Entrepreneurs Forum as a finalist for Working Capital Stage Company of the Year. [cite news | last =Giegerich | first =Andy | title =OEF announces finalists | work =Portland Business Journal | publisher =American City Business Journals, Inc | date =June 27, 2005 | url =http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2005/06/27/daily10.html | accessdate =2008-09-13 ] In 2006 "Portland Monthly" was a finalist for "Best Overall Design" of a consumer magazine, in the Folio: Gold Ozzie Awards. [cite news | title =Fast Company Wins Folio: Gold Ozzie Award for Best Business Magazine and Silver Eddie Award for Best Overall Consumer Magazine Design | work =Business Wire | date =October 24, 2006 ] In her 2007 book "Insiders' Guide to Portland, Oregon", author Rachel Dresbeck wrote that the magazine "maintains an excellent calendar" of events going on in the city. [cite book | last =Dresbeck | first =Rachel | title =Insiders' Guide to Portland, Oregon: Including the Metro Area and Vancouver, Washington | publisher =Globe Pequot | date =2007 | pages =182 | isbn = 0762741899] In July 2007 Nicole Vogel was a finalist among nominees for an individual entrepreneurship award from the Oregon Entrepreneurs Network. [cite news | last =Staff | title =Oregon Entrepreneurs Network names finalists | work =Portland Business Journal | publisher =American City Business Journals, Inc | date =July 2, 2007 ]

ee also

*Portland metropolitan area

References

External links

*cite web|title =Portland Monthly Magazine| url =http://www.portlandmonthlymag.com/
*cite web|title =Portland Monthly, Inc. Company Profile|work=Portland Business Journal| url =http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/gen/company.html?gcode=8BD8E12993F4418D89DE68D2E634D537&section=current_news&view=expanded