Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
🎨

Entertainment Weekly

arts Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Entertainment Weekly, often abbreviated as EW, is a prominent American publication focused on the world of popular culture. It serves as a guide for entertainment media, covering film, television, music, books, and Broadway theatre. While many magazines focus strictly on the private lives of celebrities, EW distinguishes itself by concentrating on news and critical reviews. It aims to reach a general audience rather than just industry insiders. This makes it a tool for fans to navigate the vast landscape of modern media. Today, the brand exists as a digital-only entity based in New York City.

Reading an issue of Entertainment Weekly follows a structured and familiar magazine format. It typically begins with a letter to the editor and a table of contents. The "News and Notes" section opens the publication, providing short articles on current pop culture events. This section includes recurring features like "Sound Bites," which uses speech bubbles to show memorable quotes from actors and comedians. Another feature, "The Must List," presents ten items the staff recommends, including one pick from the readers. Other specialized sections include "First Look" for behind-the-scenes images and "The Style Report," which grades celebrity fashion on an "A" to "F" scale.

The magazine also utilizes specific columns to provide deep analysis and commentary. For example, "The Final Cut," written by Mark Harris, offers serious analysis of cultural events. Other writers have contributed unique perspectives, such as screenwriter Diablo Cody, who wrote "Binge Thinking." The publication also tracks major life events in the "Monitor" section. For significant deaths, it provides detailed obituaries in a feature called "Legacy." At the very end, the "Bullseye" section uses a graphic to rate recent events as either hits or misses.

A massive portion of the magazine is dedicated to critical reviews. These sections occupy up to one-half of the total pages. The reviews are organized into categories: Movies, Television, Music, Books, and sometimes Theater, Games, or Tech. Instead of using a star system, EW uses academic-style letter grades. A top review might receive an "A," while the lowest receives an "F." The "Movies" section often includes "Critical Mass," which compares EW's grades to other famous reviewers. The "Television" section covers new series and specials, while the "Music" section reviews major album releases by genre.

The history of Entertainment Weekly began in New York City on February 16, 1990. It was created by Jeff Jarvis and founded by Michael Klingensmith. As a sister magazine to People, it was designed as a consumer guide to popular culture. The magazine achieved significant prestige early on. It won the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in 1996. It earned this same high honor again in 2002. These awards recognized its excellence in the field of general interest magazine publishing.

Financial investment and growth played a major role in the magazine's development. The former owner, Time Inc., invested $150 million into developing the magazine after its launch. By the end of 1996, the magazine was making a six-figure profit. During its peak years, it generated $55 million in annual profit. The brand also expanded its reach through the People/Entertainment Weekly Network, launched in 2016. This ad-supported video network was later rebranded as PeopleTV in 2017. Even the brand went international when a Greek edition launched in August 2021.

Changes in the media industry eventually forced the magazine to evolve its business model. As print advertising shrank and celebrity news moved to digital platforms, the magazine faced new pressures. In August 2019, it transitioned from a weekly schedule to a monthly issue model. This change was intended to allow for deeper 24/7 digital coverage. Finally, on February 9, 2022, Entertainment Weekly ceased all print publication. The April 2022 issue was the last one printed on paper. The brand now lives entirely in the digital space, utilizing websites, podcasts, and digital covers.

648 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.