Nov 28, 2023 15:00:00

The scientific magazine 'Popular Science' with a history of 151 years will finally be discontinued

Recurrent Ventures, a major digital media company, has undertaken a major restructuring and reorganization of its business. It is reported that due to this business reorganization, the popular science magazine ``

Popular Science '', which has a history of 151 years, will finally be discontinued.

Recurrent Ventures lays off across digital media portfolio following CEO shakeup
https://www.axios.com/2023/11/13/recurrent-ventures-layoffs

After 151 years, Popular Science will no longer offer a magazine - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2023/11/27/23978042/popular-science-digital-magazine-discontinued

Popular Science was founded in 1872 as a monthly science magazine for the general public. In January 2016, it was a monthly magazine, then it became a bimonthly magazine, and in September 2018 it became a quarterly magazine. In 2021, it will become a digital magazine and will no longer be a physical publication.

by

Alden Jewell

The publisher has changed since its inception, and the publishing company ``Popular Science'' was established in 1924, but it was acquired by Times Mirror in 1967. Since 1973, the publisher has been named Times Mirror or Times, in 2007 Bonnier, a major Swiss media company, and since October 2020, North Equity. Then, in June 2021, Recurrent Ventures acquired North Equity, so Popular Science became Recurrent Ventures' magazine brand.

Recurrent Ventures has rapidly expanded its scale through M&A in recent years, and in September 2022, it acquired Dwell, a housing-related publishing and design company, and Business of Home, a furniture-related media company. However, due to the instability of the advertising market, the editorial departments of several magazines it owns have been disbanded in recent years, and more than 60 editors have been fired. Also, it seems that some of the websites owned by Recurrent Ventures were also sold.

According to the IT news site Axios, 13 editors of Popular Science were fired on November 27, 2023, leaving only five editorial staff remaining at the time of article creation. Additionally, Popular Science will no longer be published as a magazine.

However, the website ``PopSci.com'' will be updated, and the ``Popular Science'' brand will remain as a science news site rather than a magazine. In addition, it seems that the paid service ``PopSci +'' that allows access to the archive will continue to be provided.

In

a post on LinkedIn , science journalist Purvita Saha wrote, ``I am deeply saddened by the owner's decision to discontinue a pioneering magazine that has adapted to changing times for 151 years in just a 5-minute Zoom meeting. I am frustrated, angry and appalled.”