The Time Inc. Subject Files document the history of Time Inc. as an organization and have information on each publication and many departments at Time Inc. This record group contains primary documents from throughout the company and contains the majority of early records.

The materials focus on three main areas: corporate, editorial, and publishing. Corporate covers the acquisition and sale of entities as well as contracts and agreements between organizations, negotiations, board meetings, and other similar business relations. Editorial relates to the work being done by correspondents, reporters, and researchers. Publishing includes everything from advertising and promotion to production and circulation. While the corporate, editorial, and publishing materials are generally separated from each other, there are instances where they are interfiled. The records cover the various departments, magazines, publishers, and subsidiary corporations that operate under the Time Inc. umbrella.

Included among the documents are annual reports, advertisements, affidavits, agendas, agreements, announcements, biographical summaries, briefs, budgets, clippings, codes of conduct, committee reports, congressional bills, contracts, correspondence, cross reference sheets, directories, drafts, emergency instructions, evacuation/disaster preparedness plans, financial studies, floor plans, guidelines, handwritten notes, ID forms, job descriptions, magazines, memoranda, notes, outlines, pamphlets, photos, policies, polls and statistics, posters, press releases, project proposals, promotional materials, public notices, reports, schedules, scripts, sheet music, staff lists, surveys, telegrams, transcripts, transparencies, work flow charts and other documents regarding Time Inc.'s daily workings. Additionally, there are corporate records such as acquisition agreements, board minutes, board reports, bylaws, dissolution forms, escrow agreements, foreign corporation applications, incorporation certificates, liquidation papers, stock certificates, tax returns, trademark certificates, and transfers of title. Folders with later dates contain a higher quantity of newspaper clippings and press releases. Not all folders include materials. Any folders found empty were retained and noted.

Some of the topics covered are the Cold War, contract negotiations, the United States' foreign and domestic policies, the creation of job descriptions, establishment of an employee health care plan and stock options, hiring guidelines, human resources conflicts related to race and gender, internal and external criticisms, intergovernmental relations, the involvement of the magazine and staff in national political campaigns, lawsuits involving Time Inc., magazine censorship, male employee draft status, manpower problems during World War II, participation in the newspaper guild, proposals for new advertising campaigns, regional political and economic developments, and strategies to boost circulation.

Additional records on the whole history of Time Inc. are in the Time Inc. Reference Files (MS 3009-RG 3) and the Time Inc. Annex Files (MS 3009-RG 39).