This is an interesting research project by Bonnier. There are a few nice ideas and explanations.
The comment around consuming “an editorial package” is important, people will always look to find the linear prescript narrative that magazines can provide, it’s hard to do this with “an infinite, endlessly expanding RSS feed”, which due to its non-linear nature doesn’t have the same defined end point which we can see people do still enjoy in print magazines.
I think the feeling that you have finished something, and hopefully enjoyed it, adds value and breeds an audience that feels more engaged with the brand as a provider of content. As a reader you are then more likely to return to the same branded editorial package, thus building a dedicated digital readership which has massive commercial value.
Is this the future of magazines? Possibly, but it is massively dependant on the hardware which enables it to happen.
