History of Journalism Magazines from the 80s to the present day

1. History of JournalismMagazines from the 80s to the present day Steve Windsor

2. My life as a hack • After school while working “gap year” as teacher had first article published in Angling magazine (now defunct). • Went to Keele University and University of Georgia in USA. • Sold two articles to Angling magazine. 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.

3. My life as a hack II • Joined Trout Fisherman as “Senior Writer” (1980). • Was probably first journalist with a degree in emap’sP’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.

4. Associate Publisher. • General Manager. • Managing Director (pets titles). • Left Bauer 2008 after takeover.

5. A brief history of emap • 1947: Began as local newspaper company (but sold these off to Johnston Press 1996). • Launched and Angling Times 1953 and acquired Motor Cycle News (for £100) in 1956 – everything else spun off from there. • Specialised in “hobby” consumer magazines and some trade related business-to business titles. • Smash Hits launched 1978. Music, mens’, womens’ magazines in London. • 1984: Exhibition arm and business magazines launched. Formed their own distribution company Frontline • 1990 Joint venture with Bayard Press in France. • 1991 Radio. • 1994Emap bought a small title called For Him Magazine, converted it into FHM and turned the men’s market upside down. • Grabbed 10% of the French market with the acquisition of Edition Mondialeand Hersant. • 1996: TV – bought The Box digital music channel. • 1997: Red launched for ‘middle youth’ women • 1998: Bought Petersen in USA

6. A brief history of emap II • Bought the Face and Arena magazines 1999. • FHM international title • 2001: Sold American titles • 2002: Heat reached 500,000 weekly sales. Closer launched • 2004: Zoo launched – first weekly for men • 2005: Grazia launched. • Alun Cathcart joins emap • Sold in two parts – b-to-b and consumer titles - in 2008 to Bauer for £1.14b. • Once a ‘limited’ company - now owned by a German multi-billionaire. • Bauer has magazines in 16 countries; Bauer has the old emap offices and magazines in Peterborough and London.

7. Emap/Bauer 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

8. How magazines have changed and evolved • Boom time years – what was right? • Black and white • Pages • What colour did • Specialist titles • Lifestyle versus specialist • The rise and fall and rise again of advertising • The magazine as brand • Staffing levels

9. Seminar items • Lifestyle versus Specialist? • Where did emap go wrong? • London versus Peterborough • Careers

10. BREAK

11. Recent years • Most magazines are seeing declining sales. • Only 10% of new magazines make it past the first few months. • Magazines are closing (or amalgamating) almost every day. • Magazines are operating with fewer and fewer staff. • Journalists can no longer stand aloof from the commercial aspects of the job. • Websites are getting better and better?

12. Growing problems • Recession. • Who retails magazines and why it’s changing. • Shop bought or subscriptions? • Hobbies – fewer participants/more choice? • Reading is not listening or watching. • Raw materials costs rising. • Quality of information and exclusives.

13. The Web • www.weareallinthepoo.com or “if only people would pay for the web all our troubles would be over”. • The role of websites. • Citizen journalism • Fact or fiction

14. Today • Why the journalist’s job has changed – the commercial factors. • Magazine content and sales pressure. • Knowing your readers. • Spotting/predicting changes- speed. • Taking budgets seriously – where the money comes from • Why ad. managers and editors hate each other: Flatplans/reviews/a blame culture/the truth hurts…

15. Branding • Many publishing houses now believe that it’s not enough to just be, to sell, a magazine. • Brand extensions • Shows and exhibitions • (Sponsored) awards/product awards • Spin offs, one-offs, bookazines, magazines. • Selling branded products (What’s the problem with this?)

16. Launching There may be a gap in the market - but is there a market in the gap? There is a gap in the market for Toe Nail Collector monthly. There is NO market in the gap. There are around 3,000 magazine titles on the British market – and falling… (they generate around £1.7billion in shop revenue). Every year 1,000 magazines are proposed. Only 300 of these ever reach the newsstand; only 150 of these will last for a few years. (Comag)

17. Seminar topics • Brand extensions? • Webazines? • Making money? • Where next for magazines? • Glamour versus a steady job? • Market opportunities? • How do we sell more magazines?