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BY LAUREN ZIMA

Ladies Home Journal is a veteran of the magazine world -- and now, after more than 125 years in publication -- the mag is putting its pages in the hands of readers.

The magazine, around since 1883, has announced starting in March its content will be largely written by readers. The mag will take stories readers upload on to its website, its Facebook page and other digital channels. LHJ says it will still fact-check and consult experts, but will, quote, “start with consumers where it can,” and will pay professional rates to readers for their work.

Ladies Home Journal says the big change is based on research that revealed readers want to be more involved in content. AdAge says the move is ‘highly unusual,’ especially for a magazine that guarantees advertisers a 3.2 million reader circulation.

“ … it is the largest traditional media brand to commit to so much user-generated content on an ongoing basis. … But the move could also help LHJ ... improve its traction with advertisers. … How the effort plays out over time remains to be seen. User-generated content is certainly no magic bullet …”

The magazine’s publisher says it hopes other outlets will follow suit. But Gawker won’t be one of them. A writer says the magazine is one of many to respond to the Internet changing traditional print media -- but that this response is all wrong.

“Some had layoffs. Other cut back on pages. … But Ladies Home Journal … just have readers write a bunch of crap and then put that crap in the magazine …”

And as for the ‘research’ about readers …

“Readers also want a golden helicopter, a personal Fabio harem, and a chance to be in the Olympics … But we don't give it to them, any more than we give children their desired all-Jolly Rancher diet. Because readers are stupid. We, the professional, know better, and that is why you pay us, the professionals, to write things which you, the reader, then passively consume.”

But LHJ remains positive. Media Bistro quotes its publisher.

“Diane Malloy, Publisher of Ladies’ Home Journal, thinks the move is great. “I’ve been asked a lot about whether we foresee this becoming a model that other magazines will start to implement … My answer is, ‘Gosh, yes, I think everyone is going to sit up and take notice.’”