"Durham Magazine" to debut in April -- but which Durham?

Browsing through a Barnes & Noble the other week, I ran across the publication Cary Magazine, whose cover is shown at left. You'll note under the periodical's title a number of other towns printed in small latters -- Apex, Morrisville, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina. Which is to say, the magazine covers the suburban western Wake lifestyle not just in the Towne of Scary, but in the small towns popping up next to it about whom real estate agents note breathlessly will become "the next Cary." (Drive around the US 1 interchange in Holly Springs for a, shall we say, contrasting view -- I wouldn't look for a photo feature of it in the next Cary Magazine.)

Lifestyle magazines like this, which tend to feature some editorial content packed cheek-to-jowl with glossy color photo ads for stainless steel appliances, modern 7,000 sq. ft. interpretations of Old South plantation homes, and country clubs. Witness here in the western side of the Triangle the arrival of Fifteen 501 magazine, which highlights the "family-friendly towns and verdant greenways ... thriving job market and energizing nightlife" of Orange, Chatham and Durham Counties. (One presumes that the Premiere Motorsports complex is not among their coverage topics, or Rougemont's teeming nightlife, for that matter.)

These highly segmented publications serve a few purposes, notably to drive ad revenue and to be stuffed by Realtors into relocation packets for wary in-migrators wondering if they'll have any Wegman's or Starbucks in their homes after their corporate headquarters moves down to RTP. (Or, in the case of one such Wake/Johnston pub I browsed recently, a breathless bio of state senator, homebuilder and gubernatorial candidate Fred Smith written in terms so glowing I looked for the "Paid Advertisement" label -- or an announcement he was throwing his hat into the presidential race.)

Now comes word that Durham is about to get its own such lifestyle publication, "Durham Magazine," to debut in April. From the press release--

Durham Magazine, a locally owned, high-quality, glossy lifestyle magazine created to serve the City and County of Durham, will launch in April 2008 and be mailed to 20,000 targeted households.
 
“We are working on the first issue right now,” said Dan Shannon, publisher and editorial director of the new bimonthly magazine. “We’re planning articles on such areas as Durham’s world-class dining and entertainment scene, the downtown condo and office market, the art scene in Durham, the ins-and-outs of the Hope Valley real estate market, and much more. We look forward to serving our readers and advertisers with a compelling, beautifully designed, local publication.”

One of the first questions that comes to mind, naturally, is just which households will be targeted. By our best wag, that's about one-fifth or so of Durham County addresses. Naturally, the mention of the 'Hope Valley real estate market' gives the first clue -- we're probably not going to see these shipped off to the northeastern segments of the county except for, say, Treyburn, which will likely be blanketed with the publication.

Of course, folks who happen to live in one of the not-so-preapproved ZIP codes or neighborhoods can still buy the magazine. Just $4 an issue!

Don't get me wrong -- as someone who spends a great deal of time writing about the positive things happening in Durham, which all-too-often are blatantly ignored by the Raleigh-based media in particular, I'm always glad to see more voices out there sharing positive coverage about the Bull City. And I'll be the first to admit that this blog naturally shares its author's own bias towards writing what I know about, which means there are likely plenty of great stories that escape my own radar screen, though submissions are always welcome.

The Herald-Sun deserves credit for doing a better job than anyone else on the local news scene in seeking out stories that come out of of NCCU and East Durham, for instance. That includes John McCann, whose metro and politics columns are sometimes cringeworthy, but who captures what's happening with local youth and church groups more consistently than most anyone else these days.)

Still, I have to wonder -- will Durham Magazine cover the good news from throughout the Bull City? Or will it be focused on the stories that matter most to its targeted households, who will likely be white and affluent in more cases than not?

I'm pretty cynical about the so-called lifestyle magazine segment. I'm hoping publisher Dan Shannon and associate publisher Chrissy Beck prove me wrong.

Durham's diversity is one of the things that makes this city special; it's also one of the most-misunderstood aspects of the Bull City to outsiders. A magazine that celebrates the city as a whole could be a useful addition to public discourse and to Durham's image. A magazine that fixates on the South Durham-Hope Valley-Trinity Park-Treyburn circuit can still tell a great story, but not the whole story.

I'm pulling for the latter.

Comments

[James Martin]

We can even offer it a slogan: "Durham: It's Whiter Than You Think!"

[Chaz]

You really ought to include a "Barf Bag Alert" with these kinds of posts, Kevin. Some of us have a very low tolerance for the Prozac-inspired, uber-chirpy marketing speak that threatens to engulf our heads-up-our-collective- asses-with-charge-cards-in-hand nation. But I thank you for the alert that the Home Shopping network is planning an invasion at our front gates.

I was hoping to be protected against such shallow garbage here in Durham -- thus, I think a parody version of this magazine is definitely in order. Perhaps we can ridicule them out of town?

[nonnymouse]

Sounds like a job for Blazer Manpurse!

[Dan Shannon]

As the publisher and editor of the new Durham Magazine, hello.

I appreciate your skepticism about "lifestyle" magazines -- too many are advertorials in journalistic guise (we've all seen them: buy an ad, get an article). That's just not the way we do things, but you'll see for yourselves. We are, however, dedicated to building a great publication that will appeal to advertisers (just like newspapers, blogs and TV/radio stations). I'm a fan of Bull City Rising and look forward to meeting those involved.

Our first issue will be published in April so you'll soon be able to judge for yourselves the type of magazine we will be, but in the meantime, I'd like to give you a little insight into how we work.

First of all, we will be writing about and photographing things of keen local interest with a bias toward the fun and exciting and vibrant and dynamic about Durham. It's hard to describe, exactly, how stories will be chosen, but suffice it to say that they will be local, local, local. In fact, if a writer has written a story that could run in another magazine then it's probably not right for Durham Magazine. Does that make sense?

As for the topics we write about, we hope to be the preferred source for dining and entertainment information, among other subjects. We will be profiling the interesting, charismatic people in Durham who make an impact. I expect to have a section in each issue that will highlight one or more of those living saints who do so much for their communities. And we're nuts for so-called "service journalism" -- where moms and dads can sign up their kids for summer camp, great breakfast spots, the best jazz sites, retirement centers, terrific running trails, cooking schools, the list is endless. We will also cover books, parties, shopping, real estate, business and so on. Whatever strikes us as interesting, to be honest. And wait till you see the photography! We're all about high-quality printing and paper stock -- a publication can be glossy without being shallow.

FYI, we are only hiring Durhamites that know and love the city and area. Associate Publisher Chrissy Beck's a long-time resident and sends her son to public school here. Chrissy (chrissy@durhammag.com) knows her city. We will be hiring a full-time editor who lives in Durham. Our photographers are all of the city and county. Our art director will be a Durhamite. My point is, we're not an outsider looking in, we're an organic part of the communities of Durham -- or we will not be successful. We are a local, family-owned business and currently publish Chapel Hill Magazine, which we are proud of and readers and advertisers have embraced.

We're going to mail the 6X-per-year Durham Magazine to thousands of households in the city and county. Which households? Well, we're not blanketing Zip codes -- we're trying to i.d. those homes and apartments where Durham's active and engaged families and singles live. It's more of a psychographic than a demographic profile. The speculation about selecting readers by race does not deserve a response.

All great cities have great magazines and we will do our best to give Durham the magazine it deserves.

Best,
Dan Shannon
923-0634

[FarmBoy]

It appears a parody would be redundant.

[Emily Martin]

Well, there you have it, straight from the publisher! I think Kevin pretty accurately picked which Durham the magazine will feature.

[steve bocckino]

I don't believe in prior restraint, but all of the city vanity magazines I have seen appear to cater to the Junior League and are blinding in their wealthy whitesomeness.

Durham is different; this magazine COULD be different, too.

[James Martin]

There's a big difference between Chapel Hill and Durham, and applying the same template will only result in the creation of a magazine that doesn't accurately reflect Durham. Durham is a city of contrasts: town and gown; youth and seniority; pop culture and religion. Embracing Durham means embracing difference. My concern is the sort of people who will see this magazine and move to Durham because of it will not embrace the diversity. I wish good luck to the magazine, but I myself don't see much of a need for it. Especially in this day and age of blogging and instant publishing on the web, I don't see the market for a glossy publication that sells high end advertising space.

[Chaz]

It will be interesting to see how the heck they cover the economic elite of all races that make up Durham. For example -- they're covering parties? Somehow, I just don't see them getting invited to the inner circle parties of the wealthy and social elite in Durham's black community -- a community that is, after all, half of this town... something that can not be said for Raleigh, Apex, Cary or any other town within 750 miles, for that matter.

(I will restrain from making jokes about the majority of parties that go on in this town and the photos that would result from them. Although blackmail proceeds alone could bring in even more than ad revenue for them.)

[KeepDurhamDifferent!]

If this magazine focuses on South Durham, I don't see how this magazine can be both "the preferred source for dining and entertainment" and not have stories that could run in another magazine. Doesn't every city have an Olive Garden and Outback Steakhouse? Remember, Starlu is closing.

Service journalism: How Not to Get Stabbed in Downtown. Culture Crawl Without the Crazies. 10 Easy Fixes for Buried Bodies In Your Infill Development.

[barry]

The really awesome thing about both the first amendment and the internet is that it's possible for anyone to start and publish pretty much any damn thing they want.

Don't like Dan's idea? Start your own magazine.

Like these guys:
http://www.thedurhamflyer.com/

[Will]

Dan - thanks for your posting. I think any good news about Durham is great news. Looking forward to checking it out.

[Bull City Rising]

Dan,

First off, thanks for coming by and commenting on the blog about the magazine. I'm happy to take a wait-and-see pose on the magazine, as noted in the article. It's a good sign that you all seem passionate about Durham and hiring people who know Durham well to be involved with the magazine.

As I noted in a separate email, I do think the magazine could be a great advocate for sharing what's unique and special about Durham -- the things that draw so many people here to comment, for instance.

I certainly didn't mean to imply in any way that you or your firm would intentionally distribute the magazine by race lines. The mention of targeting passionate, engaged communities is a terrific goal -- and one that I'll bet could get quite an active readership across demographic lines. (Old West Durham strikes me as a place with average to above-average HHI, for instance, but tons of passion about Durham.)

My assumption was that your Durham circulation practices would model on the Chapel Hill Magazine, which states in its advertising flyer that you can "[r]each the 29,000-plus most affluent readers and businesses in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Chatham County.... Our circulation focuses on... households that have annual incomes of more than $130,000. We mail to 100% of this demographic in our area, which translates into 11,250 households six times per year.... Chapel Hill Magazine is also placed in 80% of all local hotel rooms, doctor's offices, hair salons, and spa waiting rooms."

I had assumed that a similar approach in Durham would tend, based on national demographics, to sweep up as a result a largely (but not exclusively) white population.

That said, I think a broader outreach to neighborhoods and parts of Durham that cross income lines to find "active and engaged" residents in homes and apartments would be a terrific step.

Always looking forward to more voices and more discussion about Durham. Welcome to the Bull City.

(And as a postscript -- I'd echo Barry's comments. The First Amendment is a great thing, and the last thing I'm trying to do is "ridicule them out of town." I do think that, to be successful, they'll have to follow a different model than other cities' lifestyle magazines. But hey, maybe I'm right, maybe I'm wrong -- in the end, it really only matters what the readers and advertisers say.

In the end, it ain't easy doing any kind of publication and taking the risks, or even taking the time to do something like a blog. And anyone willing to do so deserves some credit for trying.)

-- Kevin

[ASE]

In addition to the Durham Flyer there's also the monthly, print-only Durham Skywriter, which is so over-the-top cheerful and rose glasses-y that I can't help but love it.

[Phil]

Chaz wrote: "I was hoping to be protected against such shallow garbage here in Durham -- thus, I think a parody version of this magazine is definitely in order. Perhaps we can ridicule them out of town?"

Hey -- it's one thing to place odds on whether you'll hate something, but another to decide in advance. Chaz, hold off maybe until you've read the first issue?

[Chaz]

Phil, with all respect for your desire to be fair -- I worked in marketing and advertising long enough to know that the term "lifestyle magazines" is nothing more than a euphemism for advertising-driven publications, beloved primarily by the real estate industry, and we have more than enough of that kind of fake media crowding out more worthy publications these days. They're contributing to a decline in literacy and only bolstering our consumer-driven society (which will likely be the downfall of us all when, soon, the only values that count will be those values that have dollar signs before and after that). Is it not enough that our entire government can now officially be bought and sold? Do we really need yet another glossy magazine created solely to sell things?

I appreciate that the editor and publisher stopped by and seems like a very nice, sincere guy, but that doesn't make his magazine any more likely to have substance to it -- it's still a lifestyle magazine. And you don't need to wait for this one to come out to know what it is going to be like -- these kinds of magazines are like franchises. It will be close to a carbon copy of the Cary and Raleigh and Apex versions, because it's all nothing but a skin for local advertising. I doubt the Durham version is going to be any less facile than it's other incarnations. That's about as likely as the McDonald's down the road serving 4-star meals while the one on your corner sticks to Happy Meals. Magazines like this are nice for the people who live that lifestyle (or aspire to it) and want to spend their free time spending their money, pretty much to the exclusion of all else, but it's not a magazine. It's one big editorialized advertisement.

And, Barry -- I can't agree with your sentiment that if we don't like the idea, we should start our magazine in lieu of offering our opinion on this one. One of the other joys of the first amendment -- and the entire point of blogs open to the public, I thought -- is for people to freely share their opinions. I don't see you suggesting people start their own version of a local government just because they criticize the one we have. (Although I can't say I haven't considered it.) If I misunderstood your meaning, I apologize -- but it sure sounded like that's what you meant.

On a final note, while it's nice people take blogs seriously, when corporate America starts trolling the blogosphere and using it to generate spin and p.r., and people let them by rushing to their defense because they stopped by and validated our pointless ramblings and we don't want to hurt their feelings, in my opinion, the blogosphere has kind of lost its beauty.

[Thomas]

"Still, I have to wonder -- will Durham Magazine cover the good news from throughout the Bull City? Or will it be focused on the stories that matter most to its targeted households, who will likely be white and affluent in more cases than not?"

I agree; we definitely need some law prohibiting magazines that publish stories that matter to the audience they target. Have they no shame?

[Bull City Rising]

"On a final note, while it's nice people take blogs seriously, when corporate America starts trolling the blogosphere and using it to generate spin and p.r., and people let them by rushing to their defense because they stopped by and validated our pointless ramblings and we don't want to hurt their feelings, in my opinion, the blogosphere has kind of lost its beauty."

Er, what?

First of all, when "corporate America" starts trolling BCR, that's something entirely different than what we're talking about here. I hardly consider a local small businessperson to be "corporate America." I mean, that was the whole local-restaurant-good, chain-restaurant-bad meme here in the Great Chipotle War, right?

Second of all, I for one am not looking to impose any kind of aesthetic on the blogosphere. I don't write with a pro- or anti-corporate agenda. You're free to write whatever you want in the comments. I and other readers are free to agree, or disagree. That's life, not beauty or the lack thereof.

It's not about not wanting to hurt people's feelings (cf. the words I'm writing in another browser window about the Hesters.) I said from the original post that I'm pessimistic but willing to take a wait-and-see. That's still where I stand on it.

Sorry if I'm pissy. It's 10:44pm and I'm still watching the City Council meeting on a crappy Community Access Cable channel.

[Valerie]

David, we no longer have an Olive Garden. Don't make me pout.

[Toastie]

I live in Walltown, so I guess I won't be getting a free copy. At least the News & Observer still targets me, although the Durham News was conspicuously absent from my street this past Saturday. I need to find out whom James Brady was "In Step With" in Parade...

[Will]

It occurred to me this morning that BCR is sometimes like a blog reality show. Protagonists. Antagonists. People that clearly need to take their medicine. And I can't wait to tune in and see who's written the last comment :)

[LBR]

The concept of covering parties (with all the name-dropping that tends to involve) strikes me as amusingly misplaced these days. Is there really anyone outside of celebrities and old-money New England families who cares about that sort of thing?

[barry]

ASE - i couldn't find a link to a Skywriter page, or i would have mentioned it. however, i haven't seen the Skywriter recently, and wasn't sure if Patricia was still publishing it, or if she was concentrating on her radio show on WNCU.

[Dan Shannon]

Hi again. It's the publisher/editor of the upcoming city magazine.

It is fascinating to read everyone's opinions, expectations, doubts, hopes, preconceptions about Durham Magazine -- this gets me more excited than ever about serving this great community with an independent magazine (I know, I know, we'll have to wait and see). The best city magazines — think New York Magazine, Chicago, Washingtonian — do a pretty good job of reflecting their communities and, I hope, we'll do a passingly fair job here. I'm not kidding when I say I appreciate everyone's comments. (I will say that tossing me in with Corporate America was a low blow -- I think everyone who works here is more like a happy refugee from CA than a foot-soldier for corporations. We're a small business with about 10 employees and no rich uncle with a safety net.)

One caveat: City magazines take time to develop and I expect Durham Magazine will get better and better as its writers and readers get to know each other better.

Keep in touch...
Dan Shannon
danshannon@durhammag.com

[Mike Woodard]

I tend to agree with Kevin's (and most others') assessment of this magazine, sight unseen.

One thing I can't let pass by is Steve Bocckino's (whom I consider a friend and ally on many issues) comment about the Junior League. The comment appears uninformed about the good work the League does in our community and about its membership. It also misses an important point that the Durham-Orange Junior League, like Durham and Chapel Hill/Carrboro as communities, doesn't fit the norm, or at least the historical preconceived ideas.

Let me fully disclose: Steve's remark hits a little close to home as my wife is a past president and has the distinction of being one of the League's longest serving members. However, her invovlement (and mine by association) gives me a perspective on the great work the League has done.
-Started in Durham as the "Milk Fund" to provide milk and other vital foodstuffs to low-wealth families
-Founder, along with the Jaycees, of the Public Education Network
-Leading proponent of arts education in the public schools
-Local affiliate of "Kids on the Block," a puppet show that depicts disabled kids and presents stories of how abled and disabled kids can play and learn together
-Started an nationally-recognized and award-winning program to combat senior citizen isolation
-Early and consistent supporter of Battered Womens' Coalition and Rape Crisis (now merged into DCRC)
-Working with other Leagues, took the lead in fighting for important state legislation on the issues of domestic violence and child welfare (I can proudly claim that my wife was intergral in this work)

I could go on and on, but I'll spare you.

The D-O League is diverse racially, socially, and professionally (yes, most members are working women) and takes progressive stands on issues. And they back up their stands with hard work and financial contributions. They definitely aren't "your mother's Junior League."

Forgive the rant, Steve. I could have done this offline, but I wanted to be sure others knew of this great organization.

[Farmboy]

Dan Shannon is also publisher and editor of Chapel Hill magazine. Here are two websites offering info on it:

http://www.chapelhillmagazine.com/

http://www.ibiblio.org/pjones/wordpress/?p=1231

A look at their official website and a google search on the magazine gives you a pretty good idea of its focus.

[Chaz]

I didn't think you were being pissy, Kevin, and even if you were, it's your blog. Be as pissy as you like. I can take it.

Why do I care so much about this particular topic? For one thing, publications do not exist in a vacuum and businesses only have X amount of advertising dollars. Chances are pretty good that any advertising dollars spent with this new magazine will be bled away from our more unique publications, like the magazine referenced above as well as the Independent and Herald Sun (and say what you will about the Herald Sun, it’s one of our few remaining hometown papers). That makes it all the harder for other publications to survive and increases the probability we’ll end up as homogenized as the rest of the Triangle.

And for what? To put out yet another glossy magazine targeted to the ultra-affluent. A look at the ad rate flyer for this company’s other magazine in Chapel Hill makes it pretty clear: “Reach the 29,000-plus most affluent readers and businesses in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Chatham County. Our circulation focuses on … households that have estimated annual incomes of more than $130,000. We mail to 100% of this demographic …” What sort of content appeals to this crowd? A look at past articles published by Chapel Hill Magazine reveals the following:

-- Complete List of Private Schools

-- Building Your Dream House: Builders & Developers

-- Staying Fit: Guide to Local Wellness Centers

-- Going Private: Complete List of Private Schools (again!)

-- Summer Camps: Our Annual Roundup of the top 50 Local Day Camps

These are all fine topics if you have gobs of disposal income, but they certainly do not reflect the things I love and treasure about Durham. Quite the opposite -- I moved here to get away from entire towns that revolved solely around households with incomes above $130,000.

Will the Durham version be different? No. It would not be a profitable business model otherwise.

So invite the barbarians into our gates if you will, but don’t be surprised at the changes that follow. We’re nicking away at what makes Durham special bit by bit, over-sized house by over-sized house, sell-out by sell-out and, really: it’s too bad. There ought to be a lot more people and places on this planet that unapologetically stand for more than just making and spending money.

[Jonathan Jones]

Chas,

I seriously doubt Durham Magazine will bleed much advertising from the Herald-Sun. Maybe some, but the advertisers who want to reach targeted, wealthy customers aren't exactly falling all over themselves to get into a general circulation daily. Similarly, the Independent reaches a different audience than the ones targeted by lifestyle mags. The presence of these types of magazines all over Wake County doesn't seem to be hurting the N&O.

The ad pressures the Herald-Sun face come from its rapidly declining circulation, the change of reader habits to online classifieds and real estate, and a downward trend in national advertising buying.

Even if Durham Magazine were to do put a kink in the H-S, can you really blame the new guy who has yet to even put his product on the street? Most newspaper companies responded to marketplace demand for niche publications by rolling out their own. So if competition were to end up being a problem for the H-S, wouldn't the blame fall on them for failing to respond to a changing market?

And to everyone in general, I'm amazed at the apparent distaste for something we have yet to see. I'll wait to pass judgment on Durham Mag until it hits the stand.

[Jonathan Jones]

Chas,

I seriously doubt Durham Magazine will bleed much advertising from the Herald-Sun. Maybe some, but the advertisers who want to reach targeted, wealthy customers aren't exactly falling all over themselves to get into a general circulation daily. Similarly, the Independent reaches a different audience than the ones targeted by lifestyle mags. The presence of these types of magazines all over Wake County doesn't seem to be hurting the N&O.

The ad pressures the Herald-Sun face come from its rapidly declining circulation, the change of reader habits to online classifieds and real estate, and a downward trend in national advertising buying.

Even if Durham Magazine were to do put a kink in the H-S, can you really blame the new guy who has yet to even put his product on the street? Most newspaper companies responded to marketplace demand for niche publications by rolling out their own. So if competition were to end up being a problem for the H-S, wouldn't the blame fall on them for failing to respond to a changing market?

And to everyone in general, I'm amazed at the apparent distaste for something we have yet to see. I'll wait to pass judgment on Durham Mag until it hits the stand.

[Jo]

Chaz writes: "So invite the barbarians into our gates if you will, but don’t be surprised at the changes that follow. We’re nicking away at what makes Durham special bit by bit, over-sized house by over-sized house, sell-out by sell-out and, really: it’s too bad. There ought to be a lot more people and places on this planet that unapologetically stand for more than just making and spending money."

I query: who appointed you guardian of all that is Durham? Where were you when Durham was a hell hole, and what exactly have you done to help it escape its post-industrial poverty trap? And how do you expect the majority of Durhamites to survive in a town that does not offer good opportunities to make a good living? Do you ever critically inspect your beliefs, or are you just so insipid that self-reflection is beyond your mental capacity? p.s. "and really: it's too bad" is improper usage of a colon.

[Toby]

Great discussion -- all the ingredients of today's "net-talk": over-th'-top rants, near ad-hominem (or however-the-heck it's spelled) attacks, occasional digressions into epistomology-n-stuff...!

Maybe Dan would be willing to print it (OK, excerpt it) in the first issue of the new mag... Watcha think, Dan?

[Chaz]

I'm not the arbitrator of anything but my own life, Jo, and I'm pretty happy with it. I spend the majority of my time working to make Durham better after willingly giving up the so-called great American lifestyle of a too big house and way too much crap I never needed to buy in the first place. My conscience is clear, I sleep well at night and I have a great collection of friends from all across a town I love very much. Sure, I live a little close to the edge myself because I'd rather spend my time trying to make the invisible of Durham a little more visible, rather than working 12 hours a day for corporate America like I used to. But as we slide deeper into a world of have's and have-not's, and the have-not's become increasingly more invisible, I'm pretty clear about which side I plan to fight for. And I've never been happier with how I spend the minutes of my days. Thanks so much for asking and giving me the opportunity to realize and appreciate that about my life. I'm not sure I would have seen that without you.

Toby, that's an excellent suggestion for the debut issue's lead story. It would also be a great reflection of the real battle coming in Durham's future -- i.e., how this town is going to change, given that change is inevitable. There are plenty of ways to grow responsibly, strengthen an economic base and provide ways for people to make a living without turning into a satellite or carbon copy of Cary or Raleigh (and without swapping our culture for advertising masquerading as culture).

[steve bocckino]

Mike,

I didn't say anything bad about the JL, only that these magazines cater to them. I didn't know much about the local JL (sorry Sarah!) but it sounds a lot better than "your mother's Junior League.".

I'm pretty sure that my mother wouldn't have gotten into the JL back in the day.

Steve

[Mike Woodard]

Sorry, Steve, if I read between the lines too much. Given the tenor of this discussion ("the next Cary"; "modern 7,000 sq. ft. interpretations of Old South plantation homes"; "Prozac-inspired, uber-chirpy marketing speak"; "shallow garbage") , I read it more as another way to knock this magazine. I'll bow out of this one now.

[frank]

...and if the parody is published on April 1, that would be about perfect....

(let's see, where did i put those copies of the Martha Stewart magazine parody from a few years ago...)

[B.C.Visitor]

I am only bothered by the white-slam (since we are a diverse city and we must not slam or favor any race living in and supporting Durham) and the pre-judgment of a magazine that could potentially bring more positive press for our city as well as an increased revenue for local businesses should they advertise or be featured in such a publication.

Creating such a publication is a huge gamble for the publishers and, on the positive side, I am happy that Durham has developed what the publisher's think is a topic encouraging enough to warrant a magazine named after the City of Durham. And if the publishers are publishing content with high gloss photos and pages, then it will be an expensive magazine to produce. So, I expect that advertising will be a big part of supporting this publication to keep it afloat. Of course, as a business owner, this gives me another opportunity to get the word out on my business (providing this publication proves their circulation numbers). To me, this looks like another opportunity for this city to promote itself in a postive way.

When it is finally published, I do hope that, along with presenting high gloss photos and pages, that the content will highlight the efforts and successes of those living in the communities and building businesses in Durham, big and small. I'm confident, due to the strength of Durham's community and class diversity, that a wide range of stories will be presented and become available (more so than any other local featured city magazine).

Me, well, I'm going to support the publisher's efforts and offer up story ideas in hopes of keeping such a publication idea not only published, but as diverse as the city we live. But until I read this publication, I too will reserve judgment of it with exception of showing my appreciation of this publisher's confidence of making a go at highlighting the City of Durham.

Thanks, Dan!

[durhamfood]

"Creating such a publication is a huge gamble for the publishers"

Er, how? It's a magazine targeted at the wealthy. Advertising revenues are almost guaranteed to be huge.

"I'm confident, due to the strength of Durham's community and class diversity, that a wide range of stories will be presented and become available (more so than any other local featured city magazine)."

Again, they're targeting this at the wealthy, so diversity has nothing to do with anything. The stories will cater to the wealthy. Where exactly are you getting this information?

"Me, well, I'm going to support the publisher's efforts and offer up story ideas in hopes of keeping such a publication idea not only published, but as diverse as the city we live. But until I read this publication, I too will reserve judgment of it with exception of showing my appreciation of this publisher's confidence of making a go at highlighting the City of Durham.

Thanks, Dan!"

That has got to be the most vacuous paragraph I've read since, well, last time I read a B.C. Visitor comment, I suppose...

[Will]

Durhamfood - your comment is completely inappropriate and uncalled for. Say what you want about the topic - as VACUOUS as your comments may be- but keep the personal diatribe on your own blog.

What the hell is wrong with people. Get some perspective. We're talking about a magazine...one that doesn't even exist yet.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!!!

[durhamfood]

Will: I've refrained from posting on this thread, mostly because I've found no reason to - my sentiments are similar to most of the posters here. The comment I responded to finally pushed me over the edge...

I don't think what I posted was a 'diatribe' (first of all, it was far too short). It was a gut response to a nonsensical and fawning comment that had little logic to it and betrayed how little knowledge the poster has of the city he is 'visiting'.

Please, don't tell me where to post things. If an owner of a blog thinks my words are inappropriate, they have sufficient control of their own virtual space to make that clear. I don't think anyone needs you to act as guardian.

I have no real desire to get into a discussion with you about the appropriateness or otherwise of my words. I don't really believe in such a concept, especially not in the blogosphere. Get over it. I'm as entitled to my opinions as you are to yours.

Really, I love the 'how dare he/she say that' style of blog comments. The (most often unjustifiable) mock shock is great. Jo's comment above and Chaz's response both had me laughing out loud - for quite different reasons. I laughed at the comment I 'attacked' too. Odd, huh?

Anyway, I'm sorry for derailing this. I didn't mean to. I think there is a really interesting issue at heart here. I tend to disagree with the sentiment that race is at the core of all of this, and I believe that by focusing on it one loses sight of a larger picture. One could say it's all about class as well, but again, I think that would be insufficient.

Sure, Durham is changing, but I disagree with those who claim that its fate is inevitable and predictable. You know, we live in interesting times here. I don't know the answers, so let's keep talking :)

[Bull City Rising]

"If an owner of a blog thinks my words are inappropriate, they have sufficient control of their own virtual space to make that clear."

I thought I should just take a quick moment to note my thoughts on this, given the heated nature of the comments on this and a couple of other topics the last couple of weeks.

My philosophy on comments is to allow an open and candid dialogue in which folks get to speak their minds to the blog's readers.

I will remove or edit comments that are commercial spam, which contain excessive profanity, etc.

All other comments, I let stand. Which is not to say that I agree with them substantively or in tone. Personally, when I comment on other folks' blogs, I try to do so in a respectful way that promotes dialogue as opposed to invective.

But that's just me. Others take different approaches to forums like this. In the end, the biggest impact that decision has is really on how other readers perceive their comments and the commenter; what I think is far less important, in the big picture.

PS -- A couple of folks have found that TypePad (my blog hosting provider) has blocked their comments with a message that TypePad thinks the comment is commercial spam. If it's happened to you, my apologies, and trust me, it ain't just you -- TypePad blocked a comment from me earlier this week! (How one can spam one's own blog is a more existential question than I can handle early in the morning.) I haven't found the option to turn off this automated option.

If your comment gets blocked as spam for any reason, do be aware that I can still see them in a filter-folder and can approve/post the comment manually; drop me an email and let me know.