What I Don't Get About the Whole Jane Thing

I was sad to hear yesterday that Jane Magazine was closing. I had a really great experience working with the editors there, who were smart, funny, and clearly not in it for the swag, and, while the non-Jeff Johnson celeb coverage could always be a little over the top (that faxed-in Pamela Anderson column?) I truly enjoyed reading the magazine. The line about Jane that everyone always used was "I don't feel like shit after I read it."

But what I totally don't understand, from a business point of view is this: I don't know about print publishing from a circulation/advertising standpoint but I do sort of know some stuff about the internet, and every single thing I know about the internet says that it makes absolutely zero sense to throw the website out with the print magazine.

There are new websites starting up all the time with new, hard-to-remember names and all of them are betting that they can build an audience and a brand. Jane is already an established brand with an established audience -- two things you can't buy (well, actually, you can, but they don't seem to be selling.) Sure, the website as it is now is disorganized and unnavigable (it took me five minutes yesterday to even find the blog I guest-blogged for in order to back up the stuff I wrote.) But that could change. They could re-launch the website with a staff of, I dunno, five editors, continue to make use of Conde Nast's internal ad sales and internet staff, and make money. And probably sell some Glamour and Self subscriptions at the same time.

For all I know, they intend to do this, because it's totally obvious. Maybe there are contractual obligations involved that aren't being publicized. But I believe a re-launched Jane website could work, and if they're really scrapping it, it makes me think they know as little about the web as...well, most big companies right now. Ohhhhhh...

Anyway, I hope something rises to take Jane's place. We need another magazine that doesn't make us feel like shit.