Everyone wants to buy New York Magazine"everyone" being Jann Wenner, David Pecker, Mort Zuckerman, William Reilly, and Michael Wolff. (I have $20 my pocket. If Primedia has change, I'll put in a bid.) It's mostly the memory of the Felker-era mag that generated interest, but it's hard to make the argument that it's the same publication today. As the NYT's David Carr notes, "The magazine still publishes long articles on the cultural and political life of the city, but under Primedia, there has been increased emphasis on putting consumer-oriented topics on the cover, telling readers where to find the best doctor or hamburger." Editor in chief Caroline Miller says, "the DNA of New York, and our readers' expectations, dictate that this magazine should have attitude, be provocative, be highly opinionated, take risks." I agree. But it's hard to find the opinions, attitude, and provocation in hamburger recommendations, and if there's a ratio at NY Mag these days, it's 5% opinion/attitude/provocation and 95% hamburger recommendations.
Hot market for a magazine not yet for sale [NYT]