Attitude Online

• Attitude is a British gay lifestyle magazine owned by Stream Publishing and it is based in London
• The editor of Attitude is Cliff Joannou
• The circulation of Attitude is 11,000 digital only (plus print which is unspecified)
• The first issue was in 1994
• Attitude was owned by Northern and Shell but then was bought by Stream publishing in 2016
• Stream publishing merged their Winq magazine and Attitude together
• Stream publishing is an independent publishing company. Under the control of a smaller, vertically integrated company, Attitude is arguably able to remain free creatively and take more risks than a larger conglomerate-owned brand.
• It can be argued that Attitude resists attempts to fully join the mainstream. This edgier representation remains a key part of its brand identity.
• Attitude online has become more progressive in some of its representations as it offers more diverse LGBTQ+ identities (not just gay men) a chance to find the platform.
• The print publication of Attitude remains centered around the issues and lifestyle of gay men - which would allow them to maintain their original core audience. However, recently, there has been more representation given to other areas of LGBTQ community e.g. in 2020 the magazine featured its first Asexual and intersex cover stars - becoming more in line with audience reach of the website.
• The target audience for Attitude is ABC1. It assumes that audiences enjoy a certain standard of education, political engagement and financial security.
• Offering a diverse range of content ensures audiences will be drawn in from different psychographic profiles.
• Attitude has accounts across several different social media platforms e.g. Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They post regularly and always include a link directing users to their website, which ensures its continual viability in terms of advertising revenue.
• The social media will often feature posts about LGBTQ+ issues in a range of countries, helping to position Attitude as a globally present brand - targets a wider, global audience
• Attitude offers opportunities for LGBTQ+ communities in countries with oppressive regimes to access media sources that support them
• 11,000 electronic copies of Attitude are sold each month, which is available on the dedicated app and on other platforms such as kindle. Being full convergent allows them to maximise audiences. 3 different types of subscription are available through the website.
• Nowadays, it is essential for a print magazine to establish a convergent presence online to remain competitive and relevant to modern audiences.
• The website has an average of 1.8 million regular users a month
• There is a high focus on celebrity and star appeal and Attitude is known for its ability to attract mainstream stars for exclusive interviews e.g. royalty, prime ministers and celebs. This allows the stars to signal themselves as allies of LGBTQ+ communities and strengthens the power of the brand.
• Being a global brand brings wider advertising opportunities and the Attitude website draws most of its revenue from selling advertising space online e.g. banner and sidebar adverts as well as sponsoring an entire section. They also run regular competitions that are promotional tie-ins with partner brands.
• Churnalism is a term for a form of journalism in which instead of original reported news, pre-packaged material such as press releases or stories provided by news agencies are used to create articles in newspapers and other news media - this reduces costs and maintains high traffic on the website.
• Attitude - Curran and Seaton

  The use of churnalism might be seen as indicative of their argument that creativity is limited by overriding financial considerations.

  However, Attitude is now owned by a smaller independent publisher so it can be argued that Attitude has more creative freedom now.
• Attitude - Hesmondhalgh

  Attitude was bought by an established and successful publishing company that had already successfully vertically integrated the different stages of production

  
  

  Winq was merged with Attitude which would maximise audiences and the threat of the rival publication is neutralised which is minimising risk.

  
  

  Diversification has helped reduce potential risks as the online brand offers readers more choice and reflects the changing nature of media consumption.

  
  

  The print magazine continues to priorities its established audience base of gay men - thus minimising risk
• REGULATION

  Attitudes promotional and advertising sales activies are regulated by the Advertising Standard's Agency. But, the online brand is not governed by any other 'official' forms of regulation.
• REGULATION

  Attitude has posted a full code of practice on its website that identifies the standards the brand is committed to. However, the brand is left to 'self-regulate' which could be biased
• REGULATION

  The ideological perspectives surrounding LGBTQ+ matters and the brands positioning of itself as a part of the struggle for equality have had a clear influence on its regulatory practices. It usually goes further in the regulation of its content than other producers might.
• REGULATION

  It ensures that any mature content is suitably censored on its social media, the ability to share posts from its website is limited and comments sections are heavily policed to protect audiences from being subjected to possible online abuse. This highlights the struggle between citizen and consumer and begs the question if larger company would have been as dutiful.