Ajakirja The Cheers arendusprojekt
Date
2005
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
The Cheers is an online magazine launched Feb 17, 2005. It is a publication put
together without any monetary resources and thus with no risk of failure due to money
problems. It’s a magazine with focus on entertainment and stories by writers from
around the globe.
This thesis talks about the development of this online venture. How it was put
together, how it was started, how it was made to actually work. This online venture
has survived a good 14 months. Good because 2/3 of new internet ventures die within
the first few months.
The Cheers has published articled by more than 140 different writers from more than
20 countries. Even though when it started it only had around 100 daily readers and no
bright outlook for making any profit with it, things have come long way since then.
Although The Cheers can still be considered development-in-process and it has many
issues that need solving, it has now between 1000 and 3500 daily readers and has
started to show potential for actual profit.
This thesis discusses the magazine from all possible sides. I explane how the
magazine was created and how can such magazine be developed at all. What The
Cheers is all about and where is it heading? I discuss a number of problems that have
come up during the life of this magazine and I also bring out issues that are still
influencing The Cheers in a non-desirable way. Problems including complications
with staff, problems with advertising, with organization structure, website layout,
issue planning. In case of all these problems I try to explane it and then analyze what
was done to solve the problem or what could be done to solve the problem now.
There is also a short overview of the content of The Cheers covering 3 different
magazine issues. Among other things, the sections, number of articles and their length
has been brought out.
I also conducted a quantitative study among the readers of the magazine as well as a
qualitative study among the staff of The Cheers. The study of the readers brings out
the age and demographics of our reader. The study carried out within the magazine
staff deals with what people involved with it think about the magazine. What are the
good sides, what are the problems.
To make it more interesting, I have also written about the financial side of the
publication. How the internet profit-making works and how The Cheers can earn
profit for its owner and people involved.
The discussion about what could be done, how should The Cheers be further
developed, is brought out near the finish line of this thesis. There are many things that
should be improved, changed or added to the magazine. I also explane what this
magazine has given me, what kind of experience, what kind of knowledge that could
be used in the future.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General), bakalaureusetööd, Internet, ajakirjad, võrguväljaanded, auditoorium (meedia)