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Frequently Asked Questions
 
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: jhmagazine@jhu.edu

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 (cpierre@jhu.edu), with a description of what you have in mind.

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