Magazine journalism Roles, career paths, magazine companies and magazine styles.
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Transcript of Magazine journalism Roles, career paths, magazine companies and magazine styles.
Magazine journalism
Roles, career paths, magazine companies and magazine styles.
My life as a hack…
• After school while briefly working as teacher had first article published in Angling magazine.
• Went to Keele University and University of Georgia in USA.
• Sold two articles to angling magazines. Worked on university student magazine (Sports Editor).
• Failed to get into Cardiff School of Journalism on MA course!
• Contacted emap and was lucky that they had vacancy. Was invited to interview.
• Joined Trout Fisherman as “Senior Writer” (1980).
• Was probably first journalist with a degree in emap’s P’boro offices.
• Won writing awards.• Failed to get editor’s job (c.1984).• Became Features Editor under new editor.• Acting editor.• Editor Practical Fishkeeping (1990);
Managing Editor PFK and FKA.
• Associate Publisher.
• General Manager.
• Managing Director.
• Left Bauer 2008 after takeover.
• Regularly published sports reports in Stamford Mercury/Bourne Local.
• Articles in other magazines.
• Published three books; ghosted fourth.
• Radio and lecturing.
East Midland Allied Press - quick details.
• Began as local newspaper company (but sold these off to Johnston Press).
• Launched MCN and Angling Times – everything else spun off from there.
• Specialised in “hobby” consumer magazines and some trade related business-to business titles.
• Music, mens’, womens’ magazines in London.• Grew to incorporate radio, TV, websites.• Sold in two parts – b-to-b and consumer titles -
in 2007 to Bauer for £1.4b.
(Emap) Bauer Media print products
• Women’s: Closer, GRAZIA, heat, more!, Pop, Yours • Men’s Entertainment: Empire, Kerrang!, Q, Mojo.• Men’s Lifestyle: Arena. Arena Homme Plus, FHM, Zoo• Equine: Your Horse• Gardening: Garden Answers, Garden News• Transport: Model Rail, Rail, Steam Railway• Football: Match!• Golf: Golf World, Today’s Golfer• Pets: Pet Product Marketing, Practical Fishkeeping• Angling: Angling Times, Improve your coarse fishing, Sea Angler, trout & Salmon,
Trout Fisherman • Motorcycling: Bike, Classic Bike, MCN, Performance Bikes, RiDE, What Bike?:• Motoring: Car, Classic Cars, Land Rover Owner International, Max Power, Parker’s,
Practical Classics • Automotive B2B: AM, Fleet News• Outdoor: Country Walking, Trail, Bird Watching• Photography: Digital Photo, Practical Photography• Lifestyle: Top Sante, Mother and Baby, Pregnancy & Birth
QUESTIONS?
Typical Emap/Bauer job roles in journalism
• Editor/Managing Editor – guru in the hobby/market, planner and decision maker, carries the can, usually writes well, subs well, works with advertising, marketing etc. Reports to Publisher.
• Deputy/Assistant Editor – number two.• Features editor – also guru, plans and commissions
features, liaises with photographers, ideas man/woman. Usually writes very well, knows the market.
• Reviews/technical editor – knows the gear – knows the advertisers.
• Writers/reporters – know the market, sometimes write well.
• Editorial Assistant = secretary.
Design and production hubs• Relatively new development.
• Why hubs?
• Hub caps…
• Design editors, Junior designers.
• Production editors (subs).
Less typical roles
• Staff photographer
• Picture editor (captions)
• Archivist
• Road-tester
• Editor-at-large
• Copywriter
Career paths
• Writer/reporter – section Editor – Editor.
Dead ends and cul-de-sacs?
• Designer/Art Editor.
• Sub/Production Editor.
• Editorial Assistant.
QUESTIONS?
Three “types” of magazine publishing
Consumer magazines• Make money on sales (news stand and
subscriptions); advertising. (Reader offers/events).
• Declining sales (why?)• Need good relations with supermarkets
and WH Smith (why?)• Range from tiny sales to huge.• ABC – Audit Bureau of Circulation.
Business-to-business.• Makes money on advertising
(subscriptions).• May have “closed” or “limited” distribution
(why?)• Needs superb relationships with
trade/trade bodies/advertisers.• Editor needs extra diplomacy/knowledge.• Needs clear proposition/stance on behalf
of its readers.• Adaptable to web age (why?)
Contract publishing
• Organisation/business employs you to publish magazine for them.
• What they say goes (but what do they know?) Editorial boards…
• Full time “minder”.
• Various deals.
• Consumer magazine mindset: Why the publisher/ad. manager/editor can have major problems!
Some questions to consider.
• Why might magazine sales be declining?• Why are publishers desperate to get readers to buy
subscriptions?• What’s happening to High Street newsagents?• Why is Tesco a major player in magazine publishing?
What problems do magazine publishers encounter when dealing with major supermarket chains?
• Why might space be limited for magazines in supermarkets?
• Why are most B-to-B magazines subscription only?• Why are B-to-B magazines suited to the Internet age?
Magazine exercise
In groups or on own:• Invent a consumer magazine:• What market will it serve?• Is there a gap in the market?• Is there a market in the gap?• What will be on the “dream cover”.• Cover lines/teasers/tasters - .• Contents: List the sections and the features.
What’s on a magazine contents page?
• Features.• Reviews (what type?)• News?• Reports.• Competitions/reader offers.• Letters.(Specialist areas: Recipes/match
results/river reports/TV listings etc.)
Next time (March 22nd)
• Magazine covers analysis – What makes a good cover?
• Contents pages – What’s in and what’s out?• Flat planning – How a magazine is put together.• Advertising and journalism – How advertising
and editorial work together (or don’t) and...• Reviewing products – styles, treatments,
dilemmas, advertising features.