To one who has never truly loved a media platform, the following might cause laughter or concern. But Entertainment Weekly has been a highlight of my life for at least ten years. That’s how long I’ve been an enthusiastic subscriber. When I lived in the suburbs, it usually arrived in the mail on Fridays. I loved to go home on Friday after a long workweek and read the new issue cover to cover, often over a frozen pizza. It was a dependable joy. I love EW so much that “Get published in Entertainment Weekly, if only a letter to the editor” is an original Life List item on this blog. I love the generally witty writing, the cultural analysis, the thoughtful reviews, the scoops, the cast reunions. I love discussing articles with friends who are also loyal readers. EW is solely responsible for keeping me conversant in zeitgeist shows I don’t have time or motivation to watch (e.g. most of them). (This is more important socially than you might realize.)
Six years ago, Entertainment Weekly Radio launched on Sirius, and then I had daily excitement. My favorite show was Diva Deep Dive, a sort of chattier, less salacious radio version of Behind the Music. It, too, used to air on Fridays right as I got off work. I also enjoyed L.A. Daily, which I more recently associate with the gym – when I was first at this job and exercising in the evenings, I listened to it going to and from the gym, and now I hear reruns when I go early in the morning. These small, frivolous things can become an embedded part of your life.
Earlier this week, I gathered from a discussion on L.A. Daily that the show would end today. Some Googling revealed that Sirius is shutting down EW Radio completely. I was bummed, enough to consider cancelling satellite radio (I’ll probably keep it, though, since my alternative is time-capsule/Top 40 local Memphis radio). But the news got worse. EW’s parent company has laid off 13 long-time staffers, including the editor, and is changing the format to a monthly. They’re transitioning most of their content online. It’s probably a matter of time before they’re an online-only publication. We’ve all watched this story play out over and over again in print media, but somehow, I never thought they would come for EW. I hate it for the talented writers. I hate it for the readers. I hate that this is the direction everything is going. (I also have Concerns, in our increasingly autocratic climate, about moving all journalism to a medium that can be altered or controlled with the tap of a key.)
This morning, I listened to the final episode of EW Morning Live. I listened to caller after caller tell how, when they were going through really hard times in their lives, the show gave them something to look forward to and smile about every morning. I felt less silly about my personal sense of loss, because that’s my story with Entertainment Weekly as a whole. Throughout the roller coaster of the last ten years of my life, it’s given me something to look forward to and smile about. It has been a constant. So I wanted to give it the toast it’s due. Thank you, EW, for all the good times.
Hi Brenda – long time reader, first time poster. I, too, love EW and have read it for years. I was sad to hear about them going to a monthly but not surprised – they had really started sending a lot more of those double issues – used to be only in the summer and at the end of the year. I rarely visit EW.com – I save it for the mag. Some really good writers were let go – I hope they all find a place to land.
You’re right, I noticed they were doing more double issues, but I didn’t see the writing on the wall. I hope so too!