There’s nothing older than a day old newspaper, or so the expression goes. Nothing, that is, except for a week old newsweekly. Both Time and Newsweek are trying to remain relevant (and avoid the fate of US News & World Report) by offering more in-depth analysis. But, as Michael Hirschorn says in his excellent article in this month’s Atlantic, they are a decade late.

Hirschorn looks at The Economist‘s somewhat staggering ad revenue which saw a 25 % increase last year (as opposed to Newsweek and Time which, he says, dropped by 27 and 14 percent, respectively). The secret to The Economist‘s success? Well, it’s complicated (exemplary branding, a global recession) but the short answer, and one we might learn from is this: The magazine does not try to be all things to all people. It fills a need. Its promise is clear. In Hirschorn’s words, “niche is sometimes the smartest way to take over the world.” (Read the article here)