Abstract

In order to answer the question that China's contemporary magazine industry go to where, this paper constructed two analytical frameworks（synchronic and diachronic）, and putted the evolution of cultural technical clue as the communication between the two frameworks.

Diachronic analytical framework are consisting of the 2 formats and 3 stages of human visual world, and their clue is the evolution of the human visual-presentation technology. “2 formats”are the vertical-larger-than-horizontal portrait format, and horizontal-larger-thanvertical panoramic format; “3 stages”are the“mirror”stage, the“photo”stage and the“screen”stage.

From this observation framework, able to distinguish the development stages of print magazines and electronic magazines: the former belong to the“photo”of premodern stage, the former belong to the“screen”of modern stage. Successful practice of electronic magazines is eligible to make a new definition of magazine - the regular communication form with the fixed name, the deep content and the technology comparative advantage.

Synchronic analysis framework are consisting of the aspects of cultural reproduction, such as designing, producing, marketing, consumption and regulation, and their clue is the evolution of human duplication technology.

Observing from this framework, we can find some macroscopic phenomena of the top magazine industry. Cultural-technical methodology launched from duplication technology domains, experienced the structure deepened 3 times: From artificial duplication to mechanical duplication, electronic - analog duplication, and digital duplication. In the evolution of duplication technology field, modern cultural market experienced 4 historical stages: “artificial duplication”and pre-modern support system, “mechanical duplication”and the cultural industries, “electronic -analog duplication”and the geo -cultural industries, “digital duplication”and global culture industries. In the current stage of“digital duplication”and global culture industries, China's cultural industries achieves“leapfrog”opportunities that the“digital duplication”technology system provides a“window”; the comparative advantage lies in the contents of the 2 stages that includes“artificial duplication”and pre-modern support system, “digital duplication”and global culture industries, and the“size”and other as pects; the urgent measures are taken to promote the value chain“horizontal maximized”and“vertical minimized”.

In the magezine industry level, designing is differentiated; making is refined; marketing agency is in the disappearance; breaking through the constraints of time and space, consumption is going to the creation and production; regulation on the main body, the mode, the principle and the power is changing.

Based on the above analysis, this paper reviews the 4 types of cases: relying on the value of the brand added value of the goods（Third Sales）for profit, such as the YOHO! Tidal Current, etc; relying on the advertising of the sponsoring form（Second Sales）for profit, such as VICE, etc; relying on the sales of download paper and data base（First Sales）for profit, such as CNKI, etc; through reconciling“paywall”and“dot communism”, the government wants to explore the effective path of“open access”, such as constructing“National Social Sciences Database of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences”（CASS's NSSD）.

Keywords: China Magazine Industry; Print Magazines; Electronic Magazines; Visual-Presentation Technology; Duplication Technology; Cultural-Technical Methodology; Modern Cultural Market