About Samir "Mr. Magazine™" Husni, Ph.D.
Samir Husni, aka Mr. Magazine™, is the founder and director of the Magazine Media Center.
He is the co-author of The Magazine Century published by Peter Lang. Dr. Husni is the author of the annual Samir Husni's Guide to New Magazines, which is now in its 28th year. He is also the author of Launch Your Own Magazine: A Guide for Succeeding in Today's Marketplace published by Hamblett House, Inc. and Selling Content: The Step-by-Step Art of Packaging Your Own Magazine, published by Kendall Hunt, Magazine Publishing in the 21st Century, published by Kendall Hunt, and co-author of Design Your Own Magazine.
He has presented seminars on trends in American magazines to the editorial, advertising and sales staff of the magazine groups of the Morris Communications Company, Hearst Corp., Hachette Filipacchi Magazines, Meredith Corp., Reader's Digest Magazine, ESPN the magazine, Sail Magazine, American Airlines Publishing, the National Geographic Society, the Swedish magazine group Bonnier, the Finnish magazine group Sanoma Magazines, Southern Progress magazines, New South Publishing, Inc., the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Society of Magazine Editors, Vance Publishing Corporation, the Florida Magazine Association, The Magazine Association of Georgia, the National Society of Black Journalists, the Japanese Magazine Publishers Association, and the American Press Institute.
He is "the country's leading magazine expert," according to Forbes ASAP magazine, "the nation's leading authority on new magazines," according to min:media industry newsletter; and The Chicago Tribune dubbed him "the planet's leading expert on new magazines."
Dr. Husni has been interviewed by major U.S. media on subjects related to the magazine industry. He has been profiled and is regularly quoted in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, USA Today, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and many other newspapers nationwide, as well as the major newsweeklies and a host of trade publications.
He has appeared on Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, CNNFN, PBS, and on numerous radio talk shows including National Public Radio's Morning and Weekend Editions.
Dr. Husni has also served as an expert witness in several lawsuits involving major media corporations including Time Inc. and American Express Publishing among others.
He has been a judge of The National Magazines Awards, The Evangelical Magazines Association, The City and Regional Magazines Association, and The Florida and Georgia Magazine Association Awards.
Dr. Husni is the President and CEO of Magazine Consulting & Research, a firm specializing in new magazine launches, repositioning of established magazines, and packaging publications for better sales and presentations.
Dr. Husni holds a doctorate in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a master's degree in journalism from the University of North Texas.
When he is not in his office reading magazines, Dr. Husni is at the newsstands buying magazines.
Experience Makers 
I believe that the age of “isolated connectivity” is bad for the future of journalism for many reasons. I believe that we do live in an age of “isolated connectivity” because these days everybody is always glued to some sort of electronic device such as an ipad, iphone, or even an ipod that I believe acts as a wall to block out the outside world. For journalisms sake, this “connectivity” through these digital devices takes away a key factor of socialization so that we no longer have to be in the same room or even in the same state to have a conversation.
Isolated Connectivity is an interesting concept that I hadn’t really considered until today. I think it is good for our society to a certain extent. I personally text and use facebook. I will occasionally will use twitter to to keep up to date with new information because I honestly think it’s a better information datebase then a social media device. Unfortunatly the gereration that is just getting there first cell phone for christmas is getting them thinking that being glued to your phone checking every social media cite is the norm. I was really concerned when I saw my 10 year old cousin the other day with his brand new iphone 5 and he had just instagrammed his 6th picture that day. So yes, I believe connectivity is a vital part of the 21st century and the world we are growing up in, but I also believe there should be an element of separation just to prove we are not a society that can sit a family dinner with two kids checking their phones under the table while mom and dad are checking theirs right in front of them.
We definitely live in an age of “isolated connectivity”. Collectively as a society, we have made the subconscious decision to prioritize being “plugged in” to a constantly updating culture at the expense of physical interactions with others. The benefits of advanced technology are obvious, but we sacrifice the importance of being in the moment with those who are actually with us.
When it comes to the future of journalism, I do not think journalism is doomed. If anything, journalism will adapt and innovate to meet the needs of a society with ever changing technologies and opportunities.
I believe that “isolated connectivity” has both positives and negatives for the future of journalism. It is without a question we live in a world of “isolated connectivity” and the future of journalism must adapt to this. I think it has a negative aspect, due to the fact that everyone is constantly glued to a certain type of screen. This impacts people’s social skills and eliminates most person-to-person interaction because of the convenience of your device. The example used in class today about the boyfriend and girlfriend who watched a movie together via text touches this subject. However, I do believe this type of “connectivity” can be positive. I am an avid social media user and believe it is very beneficial to me because you can access it on almost any technological device.
I wouldn’t say that Isolated Connectivity is a terrible thing for the future of journalism, but it hasn’t. It is kind of nice to be able to pull your smart phone out of your pocket and see what the latest news headline is, but it is bad through a social stand point because nowadays everybody is glued to their smart phone checking facebook or twitter or replying to a hoard of text messages. It distracts you from what is in front of you. The idea of all of those things are great to keep in touch with people or get quick information, but when you are saying short messages and stuff that aren’t really worth reading then it is mostly just a waste of our time when we could be doing something more productive
The concept of “isolated communication” is very much alive in society today and continues to grow. It amazes me that I can feel like a social person when chatting three people on Facebook but then come to realize I am completely alone in my dorm room. Although technology has made enormous strides in allowing the public to communicate in different ways, I think society is using it more as a crutch then anything else. I think everyone would agree they have learned more about life, culture and people through actually going out in the world and experiencing life then looking at it through a screen.
My belief of “isolated connectivity” is that it could be, can be, and is both positive and negative. The way that the internet works with its social networking sites makes it seem like you are never alone and always connected to other people when in reality you aren’t with them. Sometimes this can be good but other times it can be bad. In the world today there are no secrets, which enables you to find out things very fast but it also allows things you don’t necessarily want anyone knowing, out to the public very quickly. With cell phones you can be talking to someone at any time of the day no matter how far from them you may be. These things make life easier but also doesn’t allow us to really be face to face having a conversation as much as there was in the past. When it comes down to it, for me, I don’t think I appreciate the value of handling things face to face versus over the phone or computer. With that being said I enjoy my iPhone, Mac computer and twitter.
Although we are more connected to the world more than ever, our obsession with technology has completely strained many relationships. I know that I cannot make it through a family function without constantly checking Twitter and Facebook in order to stay connected to my friends and the outside world. Our society places such an emphasis on social media that it has become impossible for me to even carry on a conversation without checking my phone in order to be the first to know what is going on. This connectivity has created insanely unhealthy relationships and near complete social isolation.
Having been raised by a generation that is naturally hesitant to approve of the rapid evolution of social media, the cons of being surrounded by constant technology are not new to my ears. My generation seems to have created quite a stir in the world, just like every generation before mine, but this time it involves how society interacts. I appreciate the music my parents grew up with, but I also enjoy various modern genres of music. Similarly, I understand the detrimental effects that social media’s expansion is having on society’s future, but I also realize the extreme benefits this change has created for the world. I do, however, feel that this “isolated connectivity” will gradually harm people’s ability to communicate in person. The ability to program a computer is a valuable skill, but being able to naturally communicate with people face-to-face is taken for granted. Unfortunately this might become a lost skill.
Isolated connectivity is a concept that is both positive and negative when it comes to the future of journalism. While infinite news and information is at our fingertips, this new age of media is rapidly dissolving some of the major players in socialization. Dinner conversations have become silence due to instagram, email, and text messaging. Texting is starting to wipe out that idea of simply calling a friend. We may be technically more “connected” to eachother, but the in the long run are hurting our social skills and missing out on opportunities to build better relationships. However, isolated connectivity is not all bad. We are using our creativity to invent better and more efficient ways to relay information, and this can turn into a positive concept if we can just find a balance between new age media and keeping our social skills.
Isolated connectivity is a concept that is both positive and negative when it comes to the future of journalism. While infinite news and information is at our fingertips, this new age of media is rapidly dissolving some of the major players in socialization. Dinner conversations have become silence due to instagram, email, and text messaging. Texting is starting to wipe out that idea of simply calling a friend. We may be technically more “connected” to eachother, but the in the long run are hurting our social skills and missing out on opportunities to build better relationships. However, isolated connectivity is not all bad. We are using our creativity to invent better and more efficient ways to relay information, and this can turn into a positive concept if we can just find a balance between new age media and keeping our social skills.
Isolated Connectivity is something that has become more and more prevalent in recent years. Communication face to face has slowly started decreasing and texting, along with websites such as Facebook and Twitter have begun taking its place. Today, social media has completely taken over and has caused people to loose the ability to carry on a conversation face to face. Over the years, social media has made it easier to get in contact with one another, see what each other is doing, and read the latest headlines. Although this seems to be something positive, it also creates problems because people become attached to their phone and loose touch with reality and the world around them.
I think we do live in “isolated connectivity,” which has positives. Working with autistic children i’ve seen how this isolation is helping them. Having social difficulties, some non-vocal, it’s hard for some to even have conversations let alone share their knowledge and ideas. With the isolation they’re able to voice their opinions, we would miss out on otherwise, without extreme hardships.
The future of journalism in this type of world can also be positive. If it continues to adapt to the changing world, people will now be involved with it maybe alone, but on all types of technological devices.
In todays journalism we are more connected than ever when it comes to words and ideas being shared via technology. However when it comes to interpersonal relationships we are growing farther and farther apart and isolated. I believe this is hugely negative on people in general, because the younger generations will not learn the interpersonal skills that previous generations have been forced to learn. Only when talking to someone face to face can you truly show passion or enthusiasm, feel a persons energy, and read their body language. There are many positives to using technology and it can connect people to a certain level, yet they will truly be isolated and never fully connected without being present.
There is no doubt that “isolated connectivity” exists in our modern day society, but while some people continue to focus solely on the fact that younger generations are becoming more “isolated” because of technology, I like to focus on the fact that people are becoming more “connected.” Every day, people have more and more opportunities to access information, music, art, and even other people with a touch of a button. This connectivity is monumental, and in my opinion, the constant use of the internet, apps, and social networking are an incredible opportunity for journalists everywhere because they can be accessed by a wide variety of people any place, any time.
With her devices, my sister could entertain herself for days without human contact. She’s a perfect example of the “isolated connectivity” age we live in today. This is a great thing for the industry’s future if and only if journalism is malleable to developing technology. However, journalism isn’t close to reaching its potential in this new age. Today’s audience is addicted to instant access of content; no charge or fee will change this. For journalists to be better off now than they were years ago, they must feed the addiction to “isolated connectivity” through constant innovation and creativity.
With technology and the digital age becoming more advanced everyday, we find ourselves living among a society that is extremely well connected while also being socially isolated. Thanks to our communication devices, obtaining information is as easy as the push of a button. While learning about news and current events when they happen is helpful and resourceful, the means by which the information is obtained is killing our social skills and the way we interact with others. It is important to be able to communicate by looking someone in the eye and having a conversation instead of sending a text message or email. Instant connectivity is harming our interpersonal skills and our ability to verbally communicate. While the “isolated connectivity” we are experiencing gives us instant access to the latest news and information, I believe it is overall doing more harm than good. Our ability to verbally connect and interact is diminishing.
Whether we choose to admit it or not, over the past decade isolated connectivity has become not just a part of life, but a way of life. This idea that individuals can be both very much together and very much apart is revolutionizing the human experience. Often, the decrepit case against technological communication claims that social media is stunting our development of “conventional social skills”. I believe we are approaching a point at which the perception of one’s social skills will be an undeniably equal mix of our ability to communicate through both isolated mediums and more orthodox practices, and I think we are approaching this point faster than we even know.
While isolated connectivity means that readers have more in access to the news because of digital availability, it is a sword that cuts both ways for journalists themselves. While electronics make it possible to do satellite interviews and international phone calls from the most remote of locations, it can be negative if journalists are afraid to put themselves in harm’s way when they could just do a story remotely. I do think we live in a world of isolated connectivity, and I believe the instant access to knowledge outweighs the negatives of physical isolation as we will adapt overtime.
As of now, we are living in an age of “isolated connectivity.” Advances in technology, such as facebook, twitter, text messaging, have decreased the need, as well as importance, for face to face social interaction. There is no arguing the importance and benefits of technology, but these advances come with a cost. The overuse of text messaging a social media hinders out ability to interact with others, while also taking away from the time you are able to spend with others. How strong of a relationship can you really build with someone via facebook and text messages? The future of journalism lies in the hands of those who provide it. I do not believe hat journalism is doomed, or will fade in the near future. If anything, I think our dependence on technology could, and should be, utilized.
I believe that the concept of “isolated connectivity” has changed our society greatly in the past couple of years. I hadn’t really considered the actual idea until the class discussion today. I believe that technology, while it has advanced our society and provides many benefits, has also some what corrupted our younger generations. It seems that our younger generations are no longer able to fully communicate with each other, and face to face confrontation seems to be very limited these days. With the ability to text and communicate through the internet, many now feel that they can avoid direct contact with others. Although our newest technology helps us in so many ways, I think that its overall effect on our society is negative because it has reduced our everyday social skills with others. Technology gives us the ability to isolate ourselves from the world, while still communicating with others from the comfort of our own home. There needs to be a balance between communicating through technology and communicating with others face to face.
Young adults are captivated by “isolated connectivity”. For some it is enough to satisfy social cravings, for me personal interaction is necessary. Electronics enable people to avoid interaction, I read in Women’s Health magazine that the key to minimize stress is to “shutdown all electronics by 8 PM”. That sounded great until I realized I didn’t think I had the will power to do it myself. I suddenly realized I have spiraled into a world controlled by electronics. I can sit alone and be completely connected without ever making a sound. This “isolation” is a negative factor impacting future media.
Society is most certainly in a state of “isolated connectivity.” Everywhere you look people are texting, talking on the phone, or surfing the web. Needless to say word spreads fast. I don’t believe isolated connectivity will have a negative affect on journalism. If anything, journalism can further progress, improve, and transform technologically. It’s hard to say if we are better off with isolated connectivity. We could forever forget the importance of communication or find the new technology a get away from interacting with other. On the other hand it is very convient and informful.
The concept of “isolated connectivity” is very evident in society. These developments in technology have altered the world of journalism in a positive manor. Society is more informative now than ever before because of the different sources, which rapidly answer any questions or consistently keep us updated regarding various topics. For the reader this is very helpful and a good thing because it enables us to view things at our own leisure rather than being limited to a specific time and specific source. It is good for journalists who cannot freely voice their opinions at their own jobs.
I believe in the theory of “Isolated Connectivity.” So many people get a false sense of connection from texting& social media like Facebook and Twitter. I agree that this disintegrates basic conversation skills. As for the future of journalism, I believe it will continue on strongly. However, it will undergo more changes. Print will always be the founding of media, but it will continue to branch out electronically. This could be a good thing for media making it more accessible to people everywhere.
I agree with the idea that we live in an age of isolated connectivity. Just the other night at dinner i looked up and my entire family was on their iPhone. The advancement of technology connects us more and more yet we are not face to face. I believe there are many types of “connectivity”, but technological connectivity is cold. I think we are better off for the most part this way. We are simply embracing the new media. I love social networking and think it is one of the best things for our generation. Through facebook people from high school can connect who would have otherwise never met again. It is an interesting concept and I agree that we are in an age of isolated connectivity.
I completely agree that we live in the age of isolated connectivity. Just the other night I was at dinner with my family and looked up to see every single person on their iPhone. That is how I view our generation. I think that it is good to embrace this isolated connectivity instead of not acknowledging its existence. I believe there are many types of “connectivity” and technological is just one aspect, along with face-to-face or a phone call. We are simply embracing the future and it is beneficial to our generation to keep up with social networking and new media. I love every social network and hope to see them grow. Through this isolated connectivity some people on facebook find each other that would have otherwise never met 10 years ago. It is so interesting to me.
I agree with the fact that we live in an age of isolated connectivity. Phones these days have such great capabilities and have become an addiction to society. People are constantly on their phones or other portals of technological devices. People walk around with headphones constantly in their ears isolating them from the people and things around them. Society being on their phones has become such an addiction that an app exists, which while your walking and texting there is a camera showing you where you are walking; so you don’t injure yourself or others. In my opinion that is pathetic, and humans need to engage more with each other and communicate again.
Isolated connectivity plays a negative role within Journalism. This is because; isolated connectivity takes the real person out of evaluation process. Journalism/Media is to be a part of the system of checks and balances, but with no physical aspect of research, who will check the sources? This is a bad thing, in the since that many “new journalist” are hiding behind social media and really not taking the effort to go out and truly find the stories. So therefore we are not better off in the future than the past because the courage and physical journey of journalism is fading.
Our world has conformed into an age of “isolated connectivity,” over the past years. It is a growing priority of the current generation to always be technologically involved. Due to this, face-to-face discussions and phone calls have become out of the ordinary. It is much easier to simply send a text, a tweet, or a Facebook message. People today are losing basic social skills that one would normally gain. Isolated connectivity is more of a positive aspect for the future of journalism. It has become so simple to share, read, or research information through all the social media devices.
I believe that we have definitely entered an age of “isolated connectivity,” and I do not think it is a good thing. It is crazy to me that you can see a family or a group of friends out at a restaurant and instead of talking or enjoying each other’s company, they are all sitting in silence on their iPhones checking twitter, iNstagram, texting or doing a number of other things. Instead of sitting together and connecting people are so concerned about what is going on elsewhere instead of what is going on in the present time in their lives. Instead of enjoying and talking, people constantly need to take pictures of “tweet” about what they are doing instead of just enjoying the moment. We have created this society where people can not live in the moment and need to worry about what else is going on everywhere in the world except what they are doing in the present. I think that a text message can not replace have a verbal conversation with someone in person.
The concept of “isolated connectivity” is very prevalent in society today, especially within my generation. I believe that we do need to embrace and support the rise of technology and its role that it plays within journalism. Through media and new advancements in technologies, we are able to receive news faster and by more convenient means, which improves the knowledge of the general public with current events and therefore benefits society. The ability to instantly get in touch with someone at the hit of a button on one’s iPhone has not only advanced society immensely but has also contributed to the theory of “isolated connectivity.” People are becoming addicted to social media outlets such as texting, twitter, facebook, and instagram as I notice day-to-day as I see people on their phones and laptops even in social settings. I, myself can bbe completely alone but still feel connected to my friends and the outside world when I check my phone or facebook. The advancement of technology defines our society and generation and I believe we need to embrace the ways that the future is presenting itself.
I believe that “isolated connectivity” has its advantages and disadvantages. As far as the advantages go; there is a constant availablity of social networks and finding out what is going on in the world around us. For example, if someone is a thousand miles away from family, it is easy and accesible to click on the Facebook application, search the name of the family member, view the latest photos of that family members new child, and send his or her love via comment and/or like on that family member’s picture. As far as the disadvantages go; there is the new found loneliness. One can sit around all day, checking all of his or her social networks, without stepping a foot outside of the house. Face-to-face verbal communication is so valuable because it allows us to connect with others on a personal level. A text message does not suffice. I may have over 1,000 Facebook friends, but I am much more happy when I communicate face to face with my ten friends in person than wasting my life checking on the other 990 people that are my “friends” on Facebook.
The impact of the perception of “isolated connectivity” is a difficult thing for me to judge. Social media has exploded, giving incalculable practical use for communicating information. This has left journalists and content providers scrambling, believing digital is taking over. Interestingly, film revenues hit record highs of $10.8 billion in 2012 showing that people still value a more personal experience, though being able to download movies easy at home. I feel that people will always keep looking for this experience and the experience makers will always be there to provide it which bodes well for the future of journalism.
We absolutely live an age of “isolated connectivity” and were better off years ago. However, for the future of journalism, I think “isolated connectivity” is a positive thing because people can now get the news and read magazines anywhere and anytime due to technological advancements. For example, my parents used to share the newspaper each morning and therefore didn’t get to read every article they desired to read before leaving for work. Now, they separately read it on their iPads, able to read more articles every morning. On the down side, their mornings no longer consist of the communication they used to have when swapping the Sports Page for the Business Page.
I most definitely believe that we live in an age of “isolated connectivity” these days. When you look around at our society people are glued to technology yet struggle to be present or have face to face conversations and interactions with people. I think for the most part this is a negative thing because people do not value face to face interaction and communicating through conflict in person. There is a positive side to “isolated connectivity” though and that is the ability to stay in contact with people that live far away or you don’t see on a daily basis. People are also much easier to contact these days through technology because now not only do we have phone calls but texting, email, and social networking.
I think that “isolated connectivity” is a good and bad thing. Isolated connectivity has made our world what it is today. Our world is smarter and faster because technology company’s make it very easy to get information. We have so many devices these days and use them all the time. For me I have an iPhone, iPod, MacBook Pro, and iPad mini. All from which I read and gather information. The bad parts of isolated connectivity is that when I go out to eat with my friends sometimes everyone is on their phones checking twitter or Instagram and not have actual conversations with each other. Society has a whole we are better off. You can text a friend across the world and they get it in a second instead of weeks as a letter would.
It is undeniable that society today is the most connected it has ever been while also its individuals stay isolated. Although this quandary may sound restrictive, the ease with which we can acquire information undoubtedly benefits today’s communicators. Therefore, this “isolated connectivity” which we are experiencing is beneficial to the future of journalism as it enables us to reach further audiences and engage those readers and listeners in discussion as well as it encourages the use of different media – computers, smart phones, tablets, and social media. While recent technological advances seem to depreciate the art of in-person conversation, the frontiers for “new media” journalism are vastly expanding due to the ability of a writer to incorporate more information gathered from a wider variety of sources than ever before possible in order to share their work with people around the world.
I think that the age of “isolated connectivity” is beneficial to the future of journalism. It is true that we are indeed living in a society of “isolated connectivity” being able to communicate instantly and effectively many miles apart from each other. This is not a negative thing though, Journalists are able to use programs like Skype and Facetime to conduct interviews when schedules are busy or conflicting. It is modern programs like this that indeed highlight the idea of “isolated connectivity” and show that it can be a good thing for the world of journalism.
I believe that the changing role of the media and their platforms in the 21st century, described as an age of “isolated connectivity,” is considered both a good and bad thing for the future of journalism. This age of “isolated connectivity” is a good thing because it allows journalism to expand through all types of media. News can travel at a fast pace through the internet, with computers, cell phones, and IPads, while news is still published through the printing press. This age of “isolated connectivity” is also a bad thing because it decreases face-to-face communication. I agree that we live in an age of “isolated connectivity.” I think we are better off today than we were because we are able to connect with others faster, such as friends and relatives who live far away from us.