Southern Living Magazine - 40 Years and Still Going Strong... (tjmf-25450)

Southern Living magazine, one of teh giggest selling magazine in the US, celebrates its 40th birthday in 2006. This article looks at its history and current impact on southern living.

Now in its 40th year, Southern Living magazine is by far the premier lifestyle and entertaining magazine of the South. Its also the 7th largest monthly consumer magazine (by readership) published in the US, with a circulation of around 2.8million and an estimated readership of about 16 million. Southern Living magazine is now ubiquitous - a product that is immediately identified with the all that is best about the Southern States.

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History of Southern Living Magazine But where did it all begin? Well, the story begins before the end of the last century, in 1886, when a gentleman farmer, Colonel Leonidas L. Polk, of Anson County, N.C., founded The Progressive Farmer agricultural newspaper for Southern farmers and their families. The mission was to improve the livelihood of farm families throughout the South. The publishing company evolved, through many different changes, into the Southern Progress Corporation and that determination for a better quality of life led to the birth of one of the most successful magazines published in America today.

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Southern Progress Corporation first published Southern Living magazine in 1966. The magazine was an instant hit, embracing the warmth of friendship in a gracious southern home environment. Southern Living Magazine is described as "edited for and concerns the tastes and interests of contemporary Southerners."

The magazine truly reflects the culture and the lifestyle of the southern states. It regularly traces developments in the areas of travel and recreation, homes and building, gardening and landscaping and food and entertaining. Want to learn grow to fix collard greens or nurture a magnolia tree? It's all in the pages of Southern Living magazine.

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Southern Living magazine has been so successful over the years that it has spawned a website, and several other publications, including an extensive range of wonderful Southern Living cookbooks. It has also led to the creation of a very successful party plan business: In 2001, the magazine owners responded to the continuing requests from readers for ways to obtain all the products featured in the magazine, by launching the party plan company, Southern Living At Home. The objective of the business is to bring the pages of the magazine to life, as well as enabling readers to share in the success of the magazine, by developing their own businesses, selling Southern Living magazine products via home parties.

As it celebrates its 40th birthday, Southern Living magazine continues to go from strength. Truly it's not just a magazine, more a (southern) way of life!

About the author: Michael Barrows' website is packed with information and advice on Southern Living, including mouthwatering southern recipes. Visit the Southern Living magazine website