News Releases

DES MOINES, IOWA (March 2, 2009) – In its spring 2009 issue, Midwest Living magazine kicks-off My Midwest, an editorial initiative challenging readers to experience all the Midwest has to offer.

The magazine will feature a four-page gatefold in four 2009 issues (March/April, May/June, September/October and November/December) that highlights places to see and unique things to do in the region. The special section will have ongoing checklists filled with classic destinations and points of interest, as well as easy, everyday ideas and suggested experiences that represent the best of the Midwest.

“Midwest Living’s readers turn to every issue to be inspired to visit new destinations, enhance their home décor and outdoor living spaces, and try new recipes,” said Editor in Chief Greg Philby. “Today, home, family and travel are more important than ever as a way to reconnect us to what we value most. My Midwest is an opportunity to engage with those meaningful activities and places that make the Midwest region unique. Not surprisingly, many of the best discoveries show up right in our backyards if we take the time to look.”

The March/April 2009 issue lists ideas to visit iconic Midwest destinations such as Mount Rushmore, the South Dakota Badlands, the gleaming peak of the Arch in St. Louis, and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Ideas for food and culture include Kansas City Symphony’s annual concert and cooking classes at Silver Dollar City’s Culinary and Craft School in Branson, Missouri.

To help celebrate reader’s special Midwest moments, the magazine will feature the My Midwest Photo Contest, which invites readers to submit a photo of themselves with friends/family engaging in the suggested activities and sharing their favorite Midwest experiences. The more readers enter, the more chances they have to win monthly prizes, as well as be entered into a grand prize drawing at the end of the year. Two grand prize drawings will be awarded—an Editor’s Choice Award and a Reader’s Choice Award. Grand prize winners will each receive a world-class dining weekend in Chicago, including luxury accommodations at The Sutton Place Hotel and a pair of tickets to see Broadway in Chicago’s “Jersey Boys,” plus $1,000 cash.

Contest photos will be posted online on a custom microsite and updated monthly at midwestliving.com/mymidwest.

About Midwest Living
Midwest Living magazine (www.midwestliving.com), published by Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP), is a regional publication that celebrates the richness of life in the Midwest. Founded in 1987, the magazine is dedicated to providing its readers with a wealth of region-specific information and inspiration, focusing on travel and events, food and dining, and home and garden, as well as other editorial content categories. Midwest Living magazine, which reaches over 4 million readers, is published bi-monthly and has a rate base of 950,000.
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CONTACT: Lindsey von Busch, 732-284-9089, Lindsey.VonBusch@meredith.com