The Saturday Evening Post in the 1930s
The decline of the Saturday Evening Post, which began slowly in the 1930s and has continued until today, reflected the changing American mood. Part of the SEP's decline was due to increased competition from other forms of media, such as radio and eventually television. Another reason lie in the magazine's slowness to modernize its apperance and formats. But another reason was politically motivated. The SEP was staunchly conservate, as fit a magazine with an emphasis on business and on self-reliance. The New Deal of the 1930s did not sit well with the SEP: "As Lorimer witnessed it, the New Deal threatened to destroy the American nation and the American character. Lorimer, who had set out to create America, now found himself trying to save America" (Cohn p13).
The SEP's attacks on the New Deal, however, did not curry the magazine much favor with many of its readers. Under the harsh realities of the Great Depression many formerly prosperous Americans looked to the New Deal as the only thing keeping them from starvation. The American mood, as reflected in Roosevelt's election in 1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944, had shifted from its overwhelming support of conservatism in the 1920s, when the business of America was business.
With Greenbelt a town created by the New Deal, it is likely that many
citizens of Greenbelt did not appreciate the SEP's attacks on the
Roosevelt administration and the expansion of government. Since the local
media, such as the Washington Star, did not support the government-led
creation of towns such as Greenbelt, it is likely that Greenbelt's
citizens may have been sensitive to conservative media.
To see what local media existed in Greenbelt during the 1930s, please
see David Murray's project on Washington D.C.-area newspapers
of that time.
The SEP remained an influential magazine during the 1930s, 40s, and
50s, although its influence was waning. It had lost its role as a
reflector of American values, and became merely a nostalgic reminder of
the American past. Today the Saturday Evening Post is a "publication
dedicated to bringing our loyal readers the best in useful and helpful
medical, nutritional, and health oriented matrial" (Post Web Page). Its
circulation has fallen to just 451,030, from in its heyday being read by
millions and millions.
This is the most recent issue of the Saturday Evening Post, from
May/June of 1997
