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Read more about the consequences of advertising: Remove Ads for More Money, Health. Also, are you curious how much advertising is in Fortune Magazine?

A deluge of subscriptions has hit my mailbox recently. Everything from Rolling Stone, Wired, ESPN, and the Wall Street Journal are being delivered daily and monthly. The best part? It’s all free. The worst part? These stalwarts of the news world have become magnets for advertising.

Today, I opened my mail and found a brand new copy of Wired Magazine. The July issue features a cover story on U.S. General Keith Alexander. The article is written by the brilliant James Bamford. He frequently covers stories on the NSA, and this article delivers. But like my experience with Fortune Magazine, it’s clear why they’re giving it away.

Advertising is the only thing keeping most news and media outlets alive. Subscription rates – at least to hardcopy products – have plummeted. Much like free newspapers rely on local advertisers to pay for the difference, Wired Magazine and periodicals like this are inserting more advertising space than ever. By giving away subscriptions, they can inflate their readership and draw in more exclusive advertising.

Without covers (back/front), Wired Magazine is 132 pages long.

52 pages are dedicated ads (not including partials).



The magazine is 40 percent advertising.

Being exposed to this amount of advertising can be dire to a frugal budget. Find out how you can take action.