Outlook Columbus
Encyclopedia
Outlook Media is a Columbus, Ohio
-based gay
, lesbian
, bisexual, transgender
(GLBT) lifestyle and advocacy company for the Ohio queer and allied community. Outlook Media is named after its primary monthly publication, Outlook Columbus. Outlook Media also publishes High Street Neighborhoods, manages Columbus' GLBT and allied business networking group, Network Columbus, and has partnered with the Ohio Historical Society
to form the Gay Ohio History Initiative.
including local libraries, restaurants, and night clubs or by paid, home-delivery subscription. Outlook Columbus differentiates itself from similar GLBT publications by its advertising. Outlook doesn’t limit its partners to gay-owned or gay-themed advertisers but also gay-friendly or straight owned but open-minded type businesses including national advertisers Bank One, Time Warner
, and American Express
among local businesses. The magazine's content is diverse as well, targeting a large cross section of the community while at the same time speaking to specific groups under the large GLBT umbrella. According to studies listed on their corporate website, Outlook Columbus is the number one media choice for the Columbus GLBT and allied community, the number one media choice for newcomers to Columbus who have been in the city for 5 years or less, and the number two print choice for African Americans in Columbus.
, the Brewery District
, Downtown, the King Lincoln District, the Arena District
, the Short North Arts District, the University District
, Clintonville, Worthington
, Grandview
, Franklinton
, and Old Town East. Features also include a travel guide, service directory, and pet directory. The publication is distributed to more than 200 Columbus locations where it can be found for free including recreation centers, Columbus YMCA
, and Experience Columbus visitors centers.
created this initiative to include memorabilia and memories for gays across the state. As of summer 2010, two exhibits, Remembering the Berwick Ball, and The International Drag King Community Extravaganza Exhibit, have been curated by the Gay Ohio History initiative. A traveling exhibit is in the works.
before the radio station switched ownership.
to a lifestyle tabloid as well.
, which was based out of Cleveland, and a monthly publication from Stonewall Columbus. Outlook was created to fill the void as a news voice for the Columbus community.
Under Cox, and Ryan's ownership, the newspaper quickly became respected as a professional news source. In the fall of 1998, Outlook earned five writing awards, called the Vice Versa Awards for Excellence
in the Gay and Lesbian Press, from the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association and received third place for Best Newspaper in the weekly or bi-weekly category. These awards were given for the paper's approach to controversial topics and the effect they had on the Columbus community. For example when Outlook published a piece about anti-gay harassment by members of the Ohio State University
wrestling team, the OSU Athletic Department created mandatory sexual orientation cultural competence training for all its employees.
In early 1999, Outlook Publishing, Inc. was sold to Lynn Greer, Jose Rodriguez, and Malcolm Riggle operating from offices in Worthington, Ohio
. Within the year Rodriguez sold his share of the company to Greer and Riggle.
In the fall of 2003, Malcom Riggle assumed sole-ownership of company operations. Under his leadership, Outlook Weekly became a lifestyle tabloid. That November, Outlook Publishing, Inc. changed names to Outlook Media, Inc. Two years later, in the fall of 2005, Outlook teamed with the Ohio Historical Society
to form the Gay Ohio History Initiative. Also within the year, the magazine saw controversy in a surrounding Columbus, Ohio
suburb. Some members of the Upper Arlington
community tried to ban the newspaper from its libraries, but after library board discussions the paper was decided to remain available to patrons.
In 2006, Outlook Media changed ownership after seven years under Malcom Riggle. Chris Hayes and Michael Daniels bought the company and moved Outlook's offices to The Short North
. Under their leadership, Outlook Weeklys audience expanded to the Columbus progressive community while still maintaining its readership base in the GLBT community. In the summer of 2008, Outlook Media started its radio program, Radio Outlook which lasted one year.
Outlook Weekly changed format to a monthly magazine in 2009, changing names to Outlook Columbus. The final issue of Outlook Weekly was released on March 25, 2009. The monthly format changed the look of the publication by upgrading to paper stock and including more in-depth features while still remaining free to the public. Outlook Columbus has had successful pieces including an article interview with Ohio State
football coach Jim Tressel
that reached national acclaim. The piece was reprinted on March 3, 2010 in Outsports, which caters to the gay sports community. From here, news of the article reached ESPN
, where it was reprinted again on March 4. Sports Illustrated
then picked up the story and positively commented on the Tressel interview on March 8, 2010. After the Sports Illustrated article, the story went viral across the country including reports by the San Francisco Chronicle and The Advocate
s '150 Reasons to Have Pride' among others.
In May 2010, Outlook Media purchased the saver-magazine, High Street Neighborhoods, from Aaron Leventhal. Outlook Media later won the American Marketing Association Columbus Chapter's Achievement in Marketing Award for best research-driven Marketing Campaign. This was given for the company's "Niche Marketing 270" seminar presented by Michael Daniels.
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
-based gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
, bisexual, transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
(GLBT) lifestyle and advocacy company for the Ohio queer and allied community. Outlook Media is named after its primary monthly publication, Outlook Columbus. Outlook Media also publishes High Street Neighborhoods, manages Columbus' GLBT and allied business networking group, Network Columbus, and has partnered with the Ohio Historical Society
Ohio Historical Society
The Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1885 as The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society "to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio"...
to form the Gay Ohio History Initiative.
Outlook Columbus
Outlook Columbus is a monthly produced publication with content that contains both locally and nationally focused features with a mix of columns, editorials, arts & entertainment, sports, celebrity interviews and community news. The publication replaced Outlook Weekly as the company's primary publication. The magazine can be found for free in over 800 locations within the Columbus areaColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
including local libraries, restaurants, and night clubs or by paid, home-delivery subscription. Outlook Columbus differentiates itself from similar GLBT publications by its advertising. Outlook doesn’t limit its partners to gay-owned or gay-themed advertisers but also gay-friendly or straight owned but open-minded type businesses including national advertisers Bank One, Time Warner
Time Warner
Time Warner is one of the world's largest media companies, headquartered in the Time Warner Center in New York City. Formerly two separate companies, Warner Communications, Inc...
, and American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
among local businesses. The magazine's content is diverse as well, targeting a large cross section of the community while at the same time speaking to specific groups under the large GLBT umbrella. According to studies listed on their corporate website, Outlook Columbus is the number one media choice for the Columbus GLBT and allied community, the number one media choice for newcomers to Columbus who have been in the city for 5 years or less, and the number two print choice for African Americans in Columbus.
High Street Neighborhoods
High Street Neighborhoods is a bi-annual, community based saver-magazine whose audience is the general public that resides within the Columbus urban core. Each issue is divided into community based sections where local advertisers present coupons. These communities include Merion Village, German VillageGerman Village
German Village is a historic neighborhood just south of downtown Columbus. It was settled by a large number of German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century, who at one time comprised as much as a third of the population of the entire city...
, the Brewery District
Brewery District
The Brewery District is a neighborhood located in Columbus, Ohio, USA. Located just south of the central business district, the area has a history stretching nearly 200 years. It is bounded by Interstate 70 on the north, Pearl Street on the east, Greenlawn Avenue on the south, and the Scioto River...
, Downtown, the King Lincoln District, the Arena District
Arena District
The Arena District is a , mixed-use urban infill, master planned development located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. It is characterized by its New Urbanism layout, mixed-use, and neo-classical American design. The architecture is of the Chicago School style, being influenced by Daniel Burnham in...
, the Short North Arts District, the University District
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, Clintonville, Worthington
Worthington, Ohio
-Dissolution of the Company:By August 11, 1804 the plat maps were completed, payments or notes promising payments collected and deeds prepared for all sixteen thousand acres of the Scioto Company's purchase...
, Grandview
Grandview, Ohio
Grandview is a census-designated place in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,391 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Grandview is located at ....
, Franklinton
Franklinton, Columbus, Ohio
Franklinton is a neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio. Lucas Sullivant, a Virginia born land surveyor, established Franklinton in 1797. It is bordered by the Scioto River on the north and east, Harmon Avenue on the east, Stimmel Road and Greenlawn Avenue on the south, and Interstate 70 on the west...
, and Old Town East. Features also include a travel guide, service directory, and pet directory. The publication is distributed to more than 200 Columbus locations where it can be found for free including recreation centers, Columbus YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, and Experience Columbus visitors centers.
Network Columbus
Network Columbus has been dubbed Central Ohio's 'gay chamber of commerce.' The organization, with 3000 members, provides networking events, educational programs, business advocacy and linkages with other business and professional organizations with the purpose to lead and support economic growth within the central Ohio GLBT community.Gay Ohio History Initiative
Outlook Media and The Ohio Historical SocietyOhio Historical Society
The Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1885 as The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society "to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio"...
created this initiative to include memorabilia and memories for gays across the state. As of summer 2010, two exhibits, Remembering the Berwick Ball, and The International Drag King Community Extravaganza Exhibit, have been curated by the Gay Ohio History initiative. A traveling exhibit is in the works.
Radio Outlook
Radio Outlook was a weekly GLBT talk-radio show and the first of its kind in Ohio. The show had a leftward lean, targeting the GLBT community but was enjoyed by a larger audience who enjoyed current events and friendly, informed banter. It was available on WVKO-AM (1580)WVKO (AM)
WVKO is an American AM radio station licensed to broadcast in Columbus, Ohio.WVKO changed from a progressive talk format to Catholic radio programming, provided by Columbus-based St. Gabriel Radio....
before the radio station switched ownership.
TV Outlook
TV Outlook is similar in format to Radio Outlook. It was available on WDEM.Outlook
Outlook was the company's first publication. It was a bi-weekly newspaper and followed a newspaper approach in layout based in strong journalism and professional design, rather than serving as a promotional publication for the Greater Columbus GLBT community. Circulation was between 8,000 and 12,000 and distributed to over 200 locations.Outlook Weekly
Outlook Weekly replaced Outlook as the companies primary publication. Published every week rather than every other week, the newspaper had similar content and format. In 2004, the publication switched content slightly, from just a news tabloidNews
News is the communication of selected information on current events which is presented by print, broadcast, Internet, or word of mouth to a third party or mass audience.- Etymology :...
to a lifestyle tabloid as well.
History
Outlook Publishing, Inc. was founded by co-owners and publishers Jeffrey D. Cox and Jim Ryan in the spring of 1996 with the primary purpose of publishing their paper titled Outlook. Ryan was editor and managed distribution while Cox managed finances, layout, and design from his home. The paper relied on volunteer initiative and freelance reporters to operate. Before Outlooks establishment, the only other GLBT focused publications in Ohio were the Gay People's ChronicleGay People's Chronicle
The Gay People's Chronicle is a free, biweekly newspaper published by KWIR Publications, reporting news and current events concerning the gay community of the state of Ohio. It was founded in February 1985 by Charles Callender, a Case Western Reserve University anthropology professor...
, which was based out of Cleveland, and a monthly publication from Stonewall Columbus. Outlook was created to fill the void as a news voice for the Columbus community.
Under Cox, and Ryan's ownership, the newspaper quickly became respected as a professional news source. In the fall of 1998, Outlook earned five writing awards, called the Vice Versa Awards for Excellence
Vice Versa (magazine)
Subtitled "America's Gayest Magazine", Vice Versa is the earliest known U.S. periodical published especially for lesbians, as well as the earliest extant example of the lesbian and gay press in that country....
in the Gay and Lesbian Press, from the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists Association and received third place for Best Newspaper in the weekly or bi-weekly category. These awards were given for the paper's approach to controversial topics and the effect they had on the Columbus community. For example when Outlook published a piece about anti-gay harassment by members of the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
wrestling team, the OSU Athletic Department created mandatory sexual orientation cultural competence training for all its employees.
In early 1999, Outlook Publishing, Inc. was sold to Lynn Greer, Jose Rodriguez, and Malcolm Riggle operating from offices in Worthington, Ohio
Worthington, Ohio
-Dissolution of the Company:By August 11, 1804 the plat maps were completed, payments or notes promising payments collected and deeds prepared for all sixteen thousand acres of the Scioto Company's purchase...
. Within the year Rodriguez sold his share of the company to Greer and Riggle.
In the fall of 2003, Malcom Riggle assumed sole-ownership of company operations. Under his leadership, Outlook Weekly became a lifestyle tabloid. That November, Outlook Publishing, Inc. changed names to Outlook Media, Inc. Two years later, in the fall of 2005, Outlook teamed with the Ohio Historical Society
Ohio Historical Society
The Ohio Historical Society is a non-profit organization incorporated in 1885 as The Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society "to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio"...
to form the Gay Ohio History Initiative. Also within the year, the magazine saw controversy in a surrounding Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
suburb. Some members of the Upper Arlington
Upper Arlington, Ohio
Upper Arlington is a suburban city in Franklin County, Ohio, United States, on the northwest side of the Columbus metropolitan area. The population was 33,686 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
community tried to ban the newspaper from its libraries, but after library board discussions the paper was decided to remain available to patrons.
In 2006, Outlook Media changed ownership after seven years under Malcom Riggle. Chris Hayes and Michael Daniels bought the company and moved Outlook's offices to The Short North
The Short North
The Short North is a neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio, United States, centered on the main strip of High Street immediately north of downtown and extending until just south of the Ohio State University campus area. It is an easy walk from the convention center or Nationwide Arena district to the north...
. Under their leadership, Outlook Weeklys audience expanded to the Columbus progressive community while still maintaining its readership base in the GLBT community. In the summer of 2008, Outlook Media started its radio program, Radio Outlook which lasted one year.
Outlook Weekly changed format to a monthly magazine in 2009, changing names to Outlook Columbus. The final issue of Outlook Weekly was released on March 25, 2009. The monthly format changed the look of the publication by upgrading to paper stock and including more in-depth features while still remaining free to the public. Outlook Columbus has had successful pieces including an article interview with Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
football coach Jim Tressel
Jim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel is a gameday consultant for the Indianapolis Colts, and former collegiate football head coach at both The Ohio State University from 2001 to 2011 and at Youngstown State University from 1986 to 2000. Tressel is most notable for his time at Ohio State. He was hired by the...
that reached national acclaim. The piece was reprinted on March 3, 2010 in Outsports, which caters to the gay sports community. From here, news of the article reached ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, where it was reprinted again on March 4. Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
then picked up the story and positively commented on the Tressel interview on March 8, 2010. After the Sports Illustrated article, the story went viral across the country including reports by the San Francisco Chronicle and The Advocate
The Advocate
The Advocate is an American LGBT-interest magazine, printed monthly and available by subscription. The Advocate brand also includes a web site. Both magazine and web site have an editorial focus on news, politics, opinion, and arts and entertainment of interest to LGBT people...
s '150 Reasons to Have Pride' among others.
In May 2010, Outlook Media purchased the saver-magazine, High Street Neighborhoods, from Aaron Leventhal. Outlook Media later won the American Marketing Association Columbus Chapter's Achievement in Marketing Award for best research-driven Marketing Campaign. This was given for the company's "Niche Marketing 270" seminar presented by Michael Daniels.