How Sunset Magazine Changed With The Time

Sunset Magazine
I am a California native and love everything about living and traveling on the West Coast which is why I have chosen the Magazine publication, Sunset. Although I have never been much of a magazine reader and have not purchased a magazine in 10 years, the one I have a particular fondness for is Sunset Magazine. In this summary we will briefly explore the history of the magazine and review in the way it changed with the times.

Magazine History
Sunset magazine has been around for over a century, founded initially in 1898 under a different marque and owned by the Southern Pacific Railroad. Initially based out of San Francisco California. The intention of the magazine was to draw people into the West and help combat the bad

Since the initial intention of the magazine was to entice travelers to the West it was primarily an advertisement and entertainment magazine which showcased the land, hotels, and tourist attractions. At his time, Sunset also published fictional stories and tall tales to keep the travelers entertained on their journey.
In 1912 Souther Pacific acquired the Pacific Monthly publication. The audience was broadening so the magazine started replacing their fictional stories with news currents and cooking segments but still showcasing all the west coast had to offer. Under this model it ran successfully for several years but in the 1920’s it started to become unprofitable.
In 1929, the magazine was sold to better homes and garden owner Lawrence W. Lane. The new owners embraced what was popular at that time and also what the reader base was responding well to which was DIY or how to type articles for gardens, homes, and a section on the magazine solely focused on cooking. The new format was working and by 1939 it was profitable

In the 2000’s technology and print media had a shift and e-readers became popular. The magazine had yet another pivot and it became available as a digital subscription. In 2015 readership and subscriptions continued to decline, Sunset started to have financial difficulties and chose to move their corporate office from Menlo Park to Oakland, CA, the test garden moved to Sonoma, CA, and the test kitchens were now in private kitchens. 2017 the magazine was sold to a private equity firm and was rumored to have financial difficulties, decreasing its staff to around 20 people and independent contributors being paid months late. In 2020 with the global pandemic, it saw its hardest hit when suspended publication for eight months between April 2020-November 2020, returning December 2020.
The magazine is still around today and following the same format it adopted after WWII.