Genre in Journals and Magazines

Here is a list of different magazine genres:

educational
beauty
health
sports
hobbies
academic
occupational
religious
teen magazines
childrens magazines
Art
Car/aumotive
Home/furniture
Historical

These genres help to organize ideas and information into a easily accesible source for those who are a part of the semiotic domain relating to that genre.

I think it may be possible to organize magazines into three different categories: those pertaining to personal subject matter, professional subject matter, and educational subject matter.

Personal subject matter would be the magazines that pertain to hobbies, sport, or home life. (ex. better homes and gardens, teen magazine, Hot Rod magazine)

Professional subject matter would be magazines that focus on a speciffic trade, career, or industry (ex. American City & Country, Western Farm Press)

Academic or educational subject matter would be journal or magazines produced by a scholarly association, or for the speciffic purpose of furthering knowledge in vital areas of life and personal development. (ex. Popular Science)

Although these categories may be roughly sketched out, it is also easy to see that some magazines cannot be pinned down to one category. An example: For most Sports Illustrated would be viewed in the "personal" category, but for professional athletes it may fit into the "career" category. This problem occurs with many other magazines as well. So, while magazines are a classic example of organizing meaning for groups of people, the organization is in some ways loosely linked and overlaps from category to category.