Another motorcyclist Eric! Proof of civilisation. At least there's more than me in this space.
No question but that the web has greatly changed the business environment for publishing.
While we're on the topic I think another big factor has been rapid new product introduction, and greatly shortened product life cycles - effectively the result of competitive product introductions by manufacturers.
Never mind that they ride roughshod over every principle of sound innovation management - in that most of it is only what in management consulting is called 'churn'. That is new or modified products that deliver little or nothing by by way of any real improvement or benefit - that are instead only there to create an unfounded 'must have that' urge in a dumbed down market. (but ultimately as in the case of bum marketing claims they eat their seed corn by rendering anything they say as meaningless)
We're mostly getting the woodworking equivalent of sneakers with flashing lights. It's sobering to read the (excellent) Elllis joinery handbook published as far back as 1902 - and see how little is new about woodworking machines.
The death of the ability to innovate seems to be another consequence of the advent of the big corporates in most industries anyway - many industries (who's fed up with overly hyped reworked versions of the products of yesteryear?)
How's about this though as an option. The $million dollar question is whether or not enough people still recognise and will respond to quality, honesty and the saner environment that follows from a creating a bullshi1t free zone.
If as I think they do/will the question becomes how satisfy this need in a commercially feasible way - one that will educate more into a value based way of thinking.
There's a significant lead time involved in preparing material, meaning that a periodical/magazine is surely not out of the question at all. (the web is full of woodworking sites that haven't significantly changed in years) But it'd take a considerable up front and ongoing investment in testing and research before first going to print - so it couldn't be cheap, and it'd have to be able to keep going for long enough to re-educate buyers.
The latter is important. Offer a high cost journal, and most will produce a knee jerk refusal to buy. But give it a while with those who do providing good feedback, and I have to think that the many I see week after week on forums searching for good buying information would be attracted and ready to pay a decent sum.
It's a limited field anyway. There's in truth only a smallish number of pieces of equipment in use in woodworking, and even adding hand tools and workshop systems it'd be hard to put out fresh stuff forever. Then reduce the market to those seeking higher standards.
But it's not necessarily an impossibility. Look at 'Woodworking', where so far as I know Chris Schwarz tried a no advertising quality material route. MY impression is that it wouldn't take a lot more to get that approach working well.
Look too at how Lie Nielsen and Lee Valley (Veritas) have forced the makers of junk tools to respond to their quality and to hell with the price approach...
PS I'm just a bullshitter too Kirk - given my age and situation I'm unlikely to be the pioneer.