THE teenage lifestyle magazine market is in “serious decline”, with ABC results next week expected to reveal a significant fall in circulation numbers, according to industry sources.

The findings will be released just days after Emap, the media group, closed Sneak, the teenage celebrity gossip magazine, conceding that teenagers were now getting their showbiz news on the internet. Smash Hits magazine was also closed by Emap six months ago after 30 years in business.

Emap sources said that Bliss, another of the company’s teenage lifestyle titles, would show a significant fall in circulation in next week’s ABC figures. It is understood that Hachette’s Sugar and Natmag’s CosmoGirl will also show declines.

However, industry sources said that niche teenage titles such as Kerrang!, Emap’s rock music magazine, were faring better. It is understood that Kerrang! will post record ABC figures next week.

An Emap spokeswoman said: “The rise of citizen journalism has meant that the likes of MySpace and Bebo [the social networking websites] are doing the job traditionally done by teenage lifestyle magazines.

“The teenage lifestyle magazine market is in serious decline. However, the niche teenage magazine market, which includes Kerrang! and Match, the football title, is doing very well.”

Hachette was more positive about the teenage lifestyle market. A spokeswoman said: “It would be easy to look at the ABCs and see a heavy decline of about 30 per cent and therefore a bleak future. But in this case the figures really don’t reflect the full picture.”

Hachette said that while teenagers are “very much at the forefront” of using other platforms such as the internet and mobile phones, prompting the closure of some magazines, the group is starting to exploit the Sugar brand online and via mobile phones.

Hachette added that the teenage magazine market was also facing competition from adult celebrity gossip titles such as Closer and Heat.

Ofcom’s Communications Market report revealed on Thursday that 15 to 24-year-olds were reading fewer magazines and turning their attention away from traditional media in favour of the internet.

About 70 per cent said that they have used a social networking website at least once before, while 54 per cent said they use sites such as MySpace and Bebo regularly.

THE CASUALTIES OF FALLING SALES

Sneak: Emap announced on Thursday the closure of the teenage celebrity title after four years in print.

Smash Hits: The magazine that postered teenage bedrooms across Britain for nearly 30 years closed on February 13, after its mix of pop lyrics and heart-throb interviews lost favour with young readers.

Mizz: IPC Media sold Mizz magazine in March to Italian publishing group Panini, which plans to keep the title as a fortnightly magazine for 10 to 14-year-old girls. Mizz, which is 21 years old next month, has suffered declines in circulation.

Elle Girl: The UK version of Elle Girl was closed by publisher Hachette Filipacchi last year.

A good read - but they cost too much

By Marisa Vine, 14
Elstree, Herts

I LIKE Sneak and other celebrity gossip magazines but they cost too much. Sneak costs £1.40 and I can’t afford it every week. Magazines such as Sneak, Heat and Sugar are really good for celebrity gossip but nobody I know can afford to buy them all the time.

If I have the money I buy a teen magazine. Otherwise I get stories from the internet. I’m always chatting with friends and we tell each other the latest gossip, sometimes on MSN Messenger or by text. Someone will say, “have you heard what’s just happened in BB [Big Brother]” and I’ll search for the story.

The internet is a quicker way to find information. Best of all I don’t have to spend any money. Most of my friends rely on the internet for news but I like to read the magazines when I have the money. They have all the stories in one place instead of having to search lots of websites.

Sometimes I stand in the shop and read as many stories as I can and then replace the magazine. I’m sure I would buy these magazines more often if they were cheaper.

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