Arkansas Life, the monthly Arkansas Democrat-Gazette lifestyle magazine whose span was cut short by the COVID pandemic, is headed for reincarnation — but not as a print product.
Allison Shirk, Wehco Media Inc.’s vice president of content and newsroom strategy, announced to D-G staffers after Thanksgiving that the title is coming back in February as a “social-first product designed specifically for younger readers,” particularly those in their 30s.
Shirk revealed in a Nov. 28 email to employees that Wehco was hiring staff members separate from the newspaper newsroom personnel. “Most importantly, this team will remain editorially independent from the ADG newsroom,” Shirk wrote. “They will report directly to me.” One of the first job titles will be “Director of Content and Partnerships.”
The publication will not be a magazine “or any form of print product,” the email said. Shirk expects the new brand to focus on “partnerships and influencer collaborations,” the email said.
The broader goal is expanding Wehco’s reach among younger audiences and strengthening its overall business portfolio. “These readers may or may not become ADG subscribers in the future, but this initiative will help broaden our presence across platforms and in the community,” Shirk wrote.
“Meanwhile, the ADG will continue its broader mission to grow and engage all audiences and build our paying subscriber base,” the email said.
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