Given the 24-hour news cycle, ever-shrinking attention spans, influencer and emoji culture, and the endless scroll of free content, keeping a monthly print magazine relevant is challenging. Or maybe it’s not: For people who want to limit screen time, own tangible media and trust what they read, there’s nothing like print.
This year’s Fall Arts Preview (P. 72) isn’t limited to event listings. Instead, we talked to the people behind the scenes at beloved local venues to explore and explain changes that affect entertainment options across the city. It takes time and effort to do more than scrape the dates, but part of our mission is providing the why behind the when and where.
Because we have space and time for thoughtful research, our articles are frequently the “show your work” version of news bites or influencer videos. For example, you might have seen that Eclipse Arcade replaced Wax Moon Records in Scott’s Addition. On Page 52, editorial intern Skye Hathaway explains why, where to find Wax Moon and how DawnStar Video Games fits into the picture. Similarly, freelance writer Ian M. Stewart went to event founder and actor Djimon Hounsou to understand the unusual distances, course details and deep meaning behind Run Richmond 16.19; Hounsou’s thoughts are on Page 46.
It’s hard to know what to pay attention to in today’s supersaturated world so the decision is often outsourced to algorithms. Print magazines serve manageable portions, curated by real people based on our knowledge of our coverage area, a healthy dose of curiosity and a bit of “Hey, that’s cool.” Your social feed might never serve up Dawn Bradbury, a Powhatan native and nascent clothing designer, but I bet you’ll enjoy the tale of how she made it to the fashion equivalent of March Madness (P. 56).
Speaking of real people, there is nothing artificial about our intelligence. Humans — local humans, at that — craft the sentences, consult the expert sources, check the facts, compose and capture the images, and correct the mistakes if we make any. Another sign of our humanity is heartfelt voices, such as that of Director of Operations Scott Bunce in his essay about his daughter going to college (P. 18).
As a bonus, the tech always works, you own it till you recycle it, and you don’t need an internet connection to check the contents or share with a friend. And if you’re a die-hard digital reader, we’re online all the time at richmondmag.com and on social platforms at @richmondmag.
Thanks for supporting your city magazine!
