End of an era: Reader’s Digest UK ceases print publication after 86 years
According to Eva Mackevic, Editor-in-Chief, the company couldn’t withstand the financial pressures of today’s unforgiving magazine publishing landscape and has ceased to trade
It was with a heavy heart that Eva Mackevic, Editor-in-Chief of Reader’s Digest UK, broke the news to the world: after 86 wonderful years during which it featured a great many stories, and touched the lives of millions, Reader’s Digest UK has ceased to print the monthly magazine with immediate effect. Mackevic shared the note on the magazine’s website early this month, and on LinkedIn last week. Reader’s Digest is among world’s most popular general interest magazine, offering something for everyone.
“This magazine carries a profound legacy, holding special memories for so many — whether it adorned our parents’ coffee tables or served as a gateway to the English language for those abroad. Its closure marks the end of an era that is deeply felt,” Mackevic wrote in her note. “To every subscriber, I extend my heartfelt thanks for your unwavering support, loyalty, and encouragement throughout the years. Your letters, poems, essays and photographs have filled our pages with life and heart. Each story shared has woven a beautiful tapestry of human experiences, connecting us all in profound ways,” she added.
Succumbed to financial pressures
During her eight-year stint with this publication, she served as editor during the last six years. She added that the company “just couldn’t withstand the financial pressures of today's unforgiving magazine publishing landscape and has ceased to trade.” Addressing the writers, who contributed to the magazine, she underlined that the insolvency practitioners were working to communicate with everyone about the next steps. “Whilst, sadly, we can’t continue with the ongoing publication of Reader’s Digest, we’re currently digitising as many editions of our back catalogue as possible to share with our valued subscribers as a way to enjoy the memories,” Mackevic wrote.
The UK edition of the magazine was founded in 1938 and had suggestions about health, finances and recipes. It was licensed by its parent company in the United States, where it was originally founded in 1922 by publisher-philanthropist DeWitt Wallace and his wife Lila Bell Wallace. For many years, Reader’s Digest was the best-selling consumer magazine in the United States; it lost the distinction in 2009 to Better Homes and Gardens. The very fact that the magazine is compact (its pages are roughly half the size of most American magazines), made the Reader’s Digest handy. In the summer of 2005, the US edition adopted the slogan ‘America in your pocket.’ In January 2008, it was changed to ‘Life well shared.’
The Indian edition
Its international editions have made Reader’s Digest the bestselling monthly journal in the world. Its worldwide circulation, including all editions, has reached 17 million copies and 70 million readers. Reader’s Digest is currently published in 49 editions and 21 languages and is available in over 70 countries, including Slovenia, Croatia, Romania, and India. The Indian edition was first launched by the magazine’s British company in January 1954. According to its Indian website, 40,000 copies a month were specially edited and printed in England for shipment to India, with a cover price of Rs 1.50 per copy. London sold advertising space and managed the business with executives visiting India periodically.
“Soon, as demand grew, it was evident that a remote-control operation from London was impractical and that a permanent representative in India was required. That man was Tharoor Parameshwaran (“Param”, as he was known), who was asked to open a Reader’s Digest office in Bombay in January 1955. The circulation of the magazine was now 60,000. Param later became Reader’s Digest India’s first Managing Director. For the first 15 months, his office was his home in Worli, Bombay, and his only equipment was a typewriter, a telephone, and a filing cabinet in the dining room. Being the only employee, he typed all the correspondence himself and was out on the road most of the day, cajoling companies to buy advertising space, inspecting the newsstands and supervising subscription promotion,” reads the About section of the Indian edition.
In April 1963, an Indian company, The Reader’s Digest Association Private Ltd, a subsidiary of the British company, was registered and the magazine came to be entirely printed in India. By then, the circulation had risen to 100,000 at offices at Mumbai’s Gunbow Street and a branch at Kolkata had been opened (branches in Chennai and Delhi were to follow). Shortly afterwards, production, accounts, and marketing departments were added. Finally, the Indian Reader’s Digest became a full-fledged operation in June 1969; Rahul Singh was appointed Resident Associate Editor. Then 28, Rahul had already served five years as an Assistant Editor with The Times of India.
It was during this period that local Indian articles were published in the magazine. Earlier, even to write local articles, writers from the UK came to India. Some of the first locally developed stories include those on Field Marshal Maneckshaw, Jayaprakash Narayanan, the Indian film industry, and the Grand Trunk Road. The best articles were also condensed from some leading Indian publications. In January 1975, Rahul was made Editor-in-Chief and soon had an editorial staff of about 10 persons.
The magazine’s humour sections, including Life’s Like That, All in a Day’s Work, and Humour in Uniform, have become popular with the Indian readers. Shortly after the magazine observed its 25th anniversary edition in January 1979, it started to be published by a wholly owned Indian company, RDI Print & Publishing Ltd, in conformity with a new government policy that required all multinational companies in India to dilute their equity. After that the Tata Group managed The Digest’s Indian business while editorial control remained with the magazine’s US parent company. In 2003, the business was taken over by Living Media India Ltd., which publishes India Today and other magazines. Under the new management the magazine sold over 6,00,000 copies in 2008. In the last few years, the print edition of Reader’s Digest India has been trying to regain its lost readership due to the pandemic.
RD UK will live on in the readers’ memories
The demise of Reader’s Digest UK reflects the challenges facing traditional print media in the digital age. With the rise of the internet and digital platforms, print publications have struggled to retain readership and generate revenue from advertising and subscriptions. The convenience and immediacy of online content have led to declining circulation numbers for many print magazines, making it increasingly difficult for them to sustain their operations.
We saw this happening in India, especially during the pandemic when some major print magazines shut shop. This is also part of a larger trend of consolidation and downsizing within the publishing industry. In recent years, numerous magazines and newspapers have ceased publication or transitioned to digital-only formats as a result of financial pressures and changing consumer preferences. This trend is indicative of the broader challenges facing traditional media companies as they grapple with evolving audience behaviours and competition from digital-native outlets.
Once a staple in households across generations, Reader’s Digest has been known for its broad appeal and ability to cater to diverse audiences. However, as tastes and preferences have evolved, particularly among younger generations, traditional publications like Reader’s Digest have faced difficulty in attracting new readers and remaining relevant in an increasingly fragmented media landscape. Numerous other magazines have also experienced closures or significant changes in recent years. For instance, iconic publications such as Newsweek, Time, and Glamour have all undergone transformations, including reductions in print frequency, staff layoffs, or shifts to digital-only formats.
In the final analysis, the closure of Reader’s Digest UK represents more than the end of a beloved magazine; it is emblematic of the seismic shifts occurring in the publishing industry. As technology continues to reshape how information is consumed and shared, traditional print publications must adapt or risk becoming relics of a bygone era. As for Reader’s Digest UK, though the ink may fade and the pages may yellow, its spirit will live on in the memories of its readers, in the stories it shared, and in the hearts it touched.