How long has the
Johns Hopkins Magazine been around?
The first issue of Johns Hopkins Magazine landed in
readers' mailboxes in 1950, marking the birth of a new kind of
magazine. Published for the graduates, faculty, and friends of a
leading university, it was conceived to give readers intellectual
nourishment, and over the years has featured thought-provoking
and sometimes controversial articles on topics ranging from
particle physics to student unrest. The magazine's founding
editor was alumnus Corbin Gwaltney, who is the founding and
current editor of The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Since its inception, Johns Hopkins
Magazine has
been named the Robert Sibley Magazine of the Year nine times,
most recently in 1988. For the past four years in a row the
magazine has garnered a gold medal in staff writing from the
Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Who receives the
Johns Hopkins Magazine?
The magazine mails to 120,000 people five times each year -- in
February, April, June, September, and November. Johns Hopkins
alumni comprise about 75 percent of that total. The remaining 25
percent includes faculty, senior staff, parents of current
students, and friends (i.e. donors) of the university. All of
these readers receive the magazine free of charge.
Then where does
the magazine get its funding?
The magazine gets a good portion of its support from the
university. In addition, reader donations account for about 20
percent of the overall budget; local and national advertising
account for about 15 percent. Subscriptions are available for $20
per year ($24 overseas). For subscription information contact:
[email protected]
What makes a
good story for Johns Hopkins Magazine?
There needs to be a Hopkins link. Beyond that, there's no
hard-and-fast recipe. We run profiles about alumni doing
fascinating
things: wildlife ecologists, figurative painters, media moguls.
Excerpts from books written by Hopkins authors. In-depth reports
on cutting-edge research being done by faculty and students.
Historical looks at people and events that shaped Hopkins. News
stories about events shaping Hopkins today.
How do you come
up with story ideas?
By canvasing the university's many campuses and divisions:
chatting with faculty members, showing up at poetry readings and
engineering symposiums, going to alumni events, hanging out with
students, and keeping current on the many publications that come
out of the university. Some of our best story ideas come from
faculty, students, and alumni who pick up the phone, or drop us a
note.
Do you run
contributions from readers and/or freelance writers?
Though the magazine's freelance budget is limited, we do make
some freelance assignments most often when a writer approaches us
with a great idea. (When we come up with a great idea, someone on
the staff usually grabs it first.) We also welcome contributions
from readers, though it's prudent to call or write the editor
first ([email protected]),
with a description of what you have in mind.
The Johns Hopkins Magazine | The Johns Hopkins University |
901 South Bond Street |
Suite 540 | Baltimore, Maryland 21231 | Phone 443.287.9900
| Fax 443.287.9898