National Geographic, not just photography.
I have not read a book this week because I have
been trying to keep up with news and homework. I have, however, been reading
the National Geographic collection. I get monthly editions and I have a
collection dating back to the 1970s. The magazine has excellent content and is
well worth the subscription. Most people think of National Geographic for its
amazing pictures, but it has so much more to deliver in the world of content.
First, National Geographic magazine
has amazing writing. The native writers of National Geographic are very good,
they are experienced, top of the line writers and researchers. But what I
really enjoy are the guest authors. The writing from the guest authors is
outstanding, it is the biggest section, and it goes into great detail about a unique
perspective on the world. The magazine benefits from its national reputation as
one of the best non-fiction magazines in the country. People want their stories
in the magazine, so they are showing their best work in their section.
Second, since the magazine has many
different guest authors and is very open about its content, it can provide
unique perspectives on the world that other sources cannot. Take the New York
Times, all the reporters sit in a building and write about current events
without experiencing them; even if they are doing fieldwork, it is as an
outsider observing the subject. For National Geographic, the author is the
subject. People write about their own experiences and it is collected in the
magazine because the stories told are not limited to the reporters employed,
only by the events that happen.
Finally, the pictures. I did not
initially intend to mention the photography shown in the magazine because it is
a bit of a cliché and it is good for the same reasons as the writing. Now I feel
it must be acknowledged, the photography in the National Geographic is
phenomenal. I cannot see how photography could get better than what is in the
magazine. It has a series called “PROOF,” photos taken in a special place, or
during an event, the series is all guest photographers, and it is all gorgeous photos.
With all this positivity, there are a
few drawbacks. One is recency, I mentioned the New York Times before in this
post and I think it is important t mention one key difference between the two
magazines. The National Geographic is released once a month and it is
prewritten. For example, we were 3 months into lockdown before the National Geographic
mentioned COVID-19. Do not expect the latest news from this magazine. The one
other drawback is that there is only one big story per magazine. There are many
little stories, but if you are not interested in the main story, you probably will
not get your monthly money’s worth out of that magazine. Do not subscribe to
the National Geographic unless you are open to a wide variety of topics.
In conclusion, I think the National
Geographic is one of the best magazines you can subscribe to right now, if you
are not already subscribed, you should try it out. There are many positives
that far outweigh the negatives and it is a nice break from mainstream news
and everything that is going on.
-Jesse Wald-
I have not read a National Geographic magazine in years, but your review makes me want to try it out again! I especially like the idea of variety of topics in the magazine.
ReplyDeleteI've only read a few of their issues but I remember being interested in their topics and immersed in the reading, just as you said. I was pretty surprised by how long it took them to mention COVID so I searched up that mission statement and it says that "The National Geographic Society is a global nonprofit organization committed to making an impact in our world" and talks about their various conservation efforts, so I guess it makes sense that they don't have current news. Great review and your observations are right on point!
ReplyDeleteI absolutely agree with you on this! National Geographic is a great source of information and entertainment, just not the most up-to-date stuff. I also enjoy reading Popular Science magazine, which is pretty similar to National Geographic. If you haven't already, go check it out, it's really cool.
ReplyDeleteNational Geographic has some interesting content. Brain Games is pretty cool with all the tricks and games it has in the videos. The topics it covers (memory, persuasion, lying, etc.) were engaging as well. Nice review.
ReplyDeleteI love your review of National Geographic. My father gets the monthly subscription too, and occasionally I will read through some of it. The picture just like you said are stunning and very well taken. From what I have read from National Geographic, I couldn't agree with you more. Great job!
ReplyDeleteA while ago, I was given a box of old National Geographic magazines, but they have not interested me much until now. Your review showed me that I'm actually missing out by not reading them. Thank you for sparking an interest in me.
ReplyDeleteI've never read National Geographic magazines for fun on my own time, although I am open to a lot of topics as long as it is something I can understand. The magazines sound like they have a lot of interesting content with topics that I could always learn more about.
ReplyDeleteIt is pretty awing to me how National Geographic can be so amazing in so many fields. They are almost always top of the line whether it is information for school, TV shows, or photography. I have only seen a few issues of the magazine itself, but from the other writings I have seen I'm sure your description is correct. So many companies or networks have perfected specific media, but National Geographic really is a Jack of all trades, but master of a good few things too.
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