Reader’s Digest has shut down its United Kingdom edition after 86 years in circulation. The magazine’s editor-in-chief Eva Mackevic shared the news on LinkedIn a few weeks ago.
“After 86 wonderful years, I am very sad to share that Reader’s Digest UK has come to an end. It has been my privilege and joy to contribute to this iconic publication for nearly eight years, leading its talented team for the last six.”
“Unfortunately, the company just couldn’t withstand the financial pressures of today’s unforgiving magazine publishing landscape and has ceased to trade,” Mackevic wrote.
She thanked her colleagues, PRs, writers and brands, and assured writers awaiting payments. “I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all the incredible colleagues, writers, PRs, and brands I’ve had the pleasure of collaborating with over the years. Your passion and expertise have made this journey unforgettable, and I’ve been fortunate enough to make some amazing friends along the way.”
“To any writers awaiting payment for their work, I’ve been assured that the insolvency practitioners are working to communicate with everyone about the next steps. I sincerely hope this process goes smoothly and swiftly for you,” she wrote.
The post saw a lot of comments from users.
“I read your message about the end of prestigious and historical readers. It is painful news for journalism to keep up its best journalistic work with the same integrity and honesty stay blessed,” a user said.
“Absolutely gutted to hear this, is it the website too? you and the team did such great work and I’m forever grateful for the opportunities you gave me, and all the support and encouragement,” another user wrote.
“This is such sad news! A real loss for print journalism, Reader’s Digest was a pocket-sized magazine that punched well above its weight. I loved the years I spent working on RD (the entire decade of my twenties in fact ) and working alongside you was without doubt the highlight. Wishing you the best for the next chapter – whatever project you work on next will be very lucky to have you,” another user wrote.
The UK edition of the magazine was founded in 1938 and licenced by its parent company in the United States, where it was originally founded in 1922.