I was thrilled this morning to learn that my niece, Jesma, who's just starting second grade, listed The Economist as one of her favorite magazines. We use The Economist in most of our writing training because every issue is chock full of great business writing of many different forms.
Here's a list of print media we recommend both as information sources and examples of fantastically effective business writing:
The Economist
An enjoyable compendium of global economics and politics. Read this each week and you'll have a solid grasp on the big things affecting the world. Great short form coverage of, in many cases, extremely complex topics. The Business and Politics summary sections at the front of the book are fantastic examples of choosing the right details. The columns are exemplars of solid opinion writing. The longer issue pieces are good analogs for issue briefs and whitepapers. And the whole publication is a great example of institutional voice.
Fast Company
The hipper, cooler alt-business mag is a must-read for its coverage of game-changers. It's full of quick-takes and more in-depth coverage of entrepreneurs and others in the social and traditional sectors. The personality profiles, short and long, offer informative and enlightening glimpses into what makes innovators and other successful people tick. The voice is very engaging and it, too, it uses graphics in a genius way.
Fortune
One of the grandaddies of business coverage, and still one of the best. Each issues features solid long-form reporting on critical issues in business and economics. I often use Fortune articles as analogs for reports. And it's still got some of the best infographics around.
Harvard Business Review
Not your typical academic journal, HBR is a very engaging read full of news you can use. It's a wonderful example of how to "translate" highly technical academic research into information that's meaningful for practitioners in the field. You also can learn a lot about writing a good case study and a solid executive summary from this magazine. It doesn't take itself too seriously, which makes it come off as even more authoritative.
The Week
Another study in writing short and summarizing. The Week digests all kinds of happenings from cultural to geopolitical and everything in between. Its style is engaging and clear. Again, another great example of clarity and concision in writing. I especially love the weekly spotlight on spectacular homes for sale around the nation, complete with photos -- makes a nice spread.
What business/professional publications do you go to just for the writing?