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The National Rifle Association (NRA) has announced a major restructuring of its media operations, signalling a significant shift in its publishing strategy and underlining the print media difficulties now affecting the wider firearms and outdoor industry.

Under the plan, the NRA’s publishing arm — now rebranded as NRA Media (formerly NRA Publications) — will consolidate its four monthly print magazines into two legacy titles: American Rifleman and American Hunter. The transition includes a move toward enhanced monthly digital editions for those titles, with print versions published on a quarterly basis.

In parallel, the NRA is merging its Membership, Marketing and Advancement divisions into a single unit and intends to improve operational efficiency through technology and data-driven techniques. The aim, according to organisational statements, is to “maximize member dollars, streamline operations and invest in critical programmes.”

Doug Hamlin, who was elected NRA chief executive officer last year, said: “To ensure we are prepared for the fights ahead, we must create a leaner NRA that focuses on stretching every member dollar to best protect your right to keep and bear arms.”

Explaining the reasoning behind the changes, the NRA acknowledged the broader shifts affecting modern publishing. “In the past 15 years, major publications have foregone print altogether and moved to digital-only models,” the Association stated.

NRA President Bill Bachenberg added: “The younger members are saying, ‘You’re backwards. You’re old.’ and my old members love their magazines. So we had to come up with a compromise, because the cost of producing a magazine with printing paper and postage just keeps getting more and more expensive. With the postal rates going up, it’s not sustainable.”

For the firearms trade publishing community, the announcement offers a salient reminder of the structural headwinds facing print media. With one of the largest firearms-rights organisations in the world reducing print frequency, the move echoes wider industry trends toward digital formats and leaner print operations.

While the NRA has not disclosed detailed print-run figures for its magazines, it states that the reorganisation should better position the Association for future advocacy and member-service challenges.

nra.org.uk