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.