Magazine Publishing

About British Columbia's Magazine Publishing Industry

British Columbia is a cornerstone of Canada’s magazine publishing landscape, with over 260 unique titles spanning literary, lifestyle, arts and culture, news, business, and special interest publications.

Magazine publishing encompasses periodical content delivered across print and digital platforms, including consumer magazines, literary journals, B2B publications, and niche special-interest titles. This includes everything from established lifestyle magazines, literary journals, and business publications. From automotive enthusiasts to environmental advocates, B.C. publishers deliver trusted journalism, compelling storytelling, and curated experiences that foster community and critical discourse.

The industry is evolving rapidly as premium print experiences, digital fatigue, and demand for trusted journalism are reshaping reader preferences. B.C.’s strength lies not only in its editorial integrity but in its creative professionals, writers, journalists, editors, designers, and publishers, who deliver thought-provoking commentary, engaging narratives, and striking visuals that capture the spirit and aesthetic of B.C.

Key Links

Economic Impact

$98M

Total GDP in B.C.

$109M

Direct Output in B.C.

1,269

Total Jobs

Key Insights

Why This Matters

The magazine publishing industry delivers trusted journalism and curated storytelling, fostering community discourse, supporting critical independent media, and providing people in B.C. and beyond with depth, context, and cultural reflection that algorithm-driven platforms cannot replicate. Learn more in the Magazine Association of BC’s Cover to Cover: Inside BC’s Magazine Publishing Sector report.

What Changed This Year

Estimated 2024 numbers for magazines ($98M in total GDP and 1,269 total jobs) indicate a slight decrease from 2023, which continues a long-term trend of steady decline (46.4% GDP loss, -6.7% CAGR and 44.4% job loss, -6.3% CAGR since 2015). (Source: CIERA™, 2024e).

Common challenges that are continuing to affect the global industry include declining print advertising revenues and Meta’s blocking of Canadian news content, which has further limited digital distribution.

A Note on Total Jobs + People

The Total Jobs figure is the sum of direct, indirect and induced numbers, and it represents traditional FTE and PT equivalent jobs. It represents work, but not workers, and currently has limited ability to measure gig work. It must be noted that the creative industries include many people with gig work that is not easily assessed using this traditional measurement approach model. The estimated People figure measures hours worked in terms of positions, not the number of individual people working or sharing those positions. Because work in the creative industries is freelance and project-based, this methodology to measure estimated People is a proxy and may underestimate the total number of workers in the creative sector.

Industry Business Counts

The total number of companies in B.C. is informed by various data sources, including industry submissions, coordinated manual and automated outreach, and comprehensive research. See up-to-date lists in Industry Contacts.

Ecosystem

Associations

The Magazine Association of B.C. (MagsBC): represents the B.C. magazine industry by uniting the talent and skills of its publishers, editors, writers, graphic artists and salespeople.

Magazines Canada: is the national association and lead advocate for the advancement of Canada’s magazine media.

Resources

Find comprehensive resources on professional development programs, business resources, events, conferences, and more via MagsBC.

Other Funding

Canada Periodical Fund: provides financial assistance to Canadian print magazines, print community newspapers (non-daily) and digital periodicals, to enable them to overcome market disadvantages and continue to provide Canadian readers with the content they choose to read.

Visit MagsBC’s website for up-to-date funding available to magazine publishers in B.C.

Education + Careers