(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-02-15 10:42

Duzhe magazine, first published in Gansu province in 1981, has an average monthly circulation of more than 9 million. Liu Junfeng

As Liu and her classmates flick through the mini-sized magazine, they don't show the same level of enthusiasm as they do while looking at the boots and jeans in fashion magazines.

"The stories are long and take time to read, and some of the topics don't fit our age," Liu says. "The health and real-life stories are good and interesting, but still, we can get them online."

However, Berner, 48, remains optimistic.

"Every magazine has different reader groups. For Reader's Digest, the readers are from 18 to 49 years old, which mean the magazine is family-oriented, from grandma to grandson. The whole family can enjoy it together," she says.

"It is still a positive magazine, which brings you inspiration and happiness. Like our 70 million readers around the world, Chinese readers will enjoy the magazine."

Berner's confidence lies in her experience. She spent the past six years as president and CEO of Fairchild Publications, where she re-launched Details magazine and launched the successful upscale parenting magazine Cookie, as well as a number of W-magazine extensions. Earlier, with Conde Nast, she was publisher of Glamor, and before that was publisher of TV Guide.

She says that 90 percent of the stories are original and are collected from our editors around the world, which "help keep our readers updated to the latest information". Puzhi is also keen to publish stories from Chinese readers.

She also acknowledges that "a good magazine evolves with the readers" and with the Internet booming, paper-based magazines face challenges. However, the medium has its own advantages.

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