James Silver, who writes a media column for Sky News has published an interview with me today about my new magazine project, and the Press Gazette also carried a news piece on it this week.
UPDATE: I have just taken delivery of 25 copies of the much missed GEORGE magazine, which I bought on Ebay a couple of weeks ago. For those who don't remember, it was a political version of GQ, founded by John F Kennedy Jnr. Sadly it closed when he was killed in the plane crash. I'm not saying THE POLITICO will be modelled on GEORGE, but I'd like to think we could emulate some of its approach.
Surely Roll Call is the most successful 'trade magazine for the political classes'?
ReplyDeleteGreat article,
ReplyDeleteWhen will we be able to subscribe?
There will be a fairly basic website with subscription details sometime in January at www.thepolitico.co.uk. We hope to launch the first issue in March or April.
ReplyDeleteare you sure politico.com ain't gonna sue you?
ReplyDeleteWell, if anything it should be the other way around. We got there first and published a magazine with the same name in 2002 and 2003. However, I don't see a problem. We are not publishing in America and they don't publish here. They are also two very different products.
ReplyDeleteIf I am to be a recipient (as an elected Councillor) I shall be very pleased to receive this -- but not on paper!
ReplyDeleteAs a conscientious "paperless councillor" I do not want any forestry taken up in anything but anything sent to me (and, yes, I have been fighting a fairly successful battle with the council offices in the same direction, ever since being elected!)
A PDF file via email would be the only way I could accept this.
George suffered greatly from a lack of editorial vision, but it had real style and did some very serious reporting. zI still have almost every issue, including the naked one.
ReplyDeleteAs long as you stay opinionated and interested, and keep your courage, you should do very well.
PDFs are for control freaks. Free the text! What's wrong with a straight-up web page or HTML mailing?
John M Ward writes: "If I am to be a recipient (as an elected Councillor)..."
ReplyDeleteIn other words, you think thousands of councillors are so valuable to a publication (why?)that you will be "a recipient", free, while people not on the public tit, but with jobs, will be happy to subsidise you by paying for subscriptions.
I think you have misunderstood the ethos behind this blog.
Regulars in this joint don't have any interest in whether you're paperless. We're not part of the green scam.
I'm sure Iain will be pleased to receive your payment details so you can receive your paid-for copy online.
Veruty said ..."In other words, you think thousands of councillors are so valuable to a publication (why?)that you will be "a recipient", free, while people not on the public tit, but with jobs, will be happy to subsidise you by paying for subscriptions."
ReplyDeleteThat is precisely what Iain appears to be proposing. Presumably, the magazine will also carry a lot of advertising.
Verity wrote, in response to me: "In other words, you think thousands of councillors are so valuable to a publication (why?)that you will be 1a recipient', free."
ReplyDeleteNo, I don't think that -- it was the way the article was worded. I just wanted to avoid having something suddenly arrive (in paper form).
If I have mis-read the original article and what it was indicating, then of course I am -- as always -- very much ready to cough up the dosh. I don't expect anything free, and never have done in my life.
The principle, however, does remain, which is that I am dedicated to eliminating paper usage. I always have never had a car (as they pollute) and practice a number of my other principles. I don't believe in merely preaching: I genuinely live by those principles, y'see...
However, there's no way you would have known any of that, to be fair to you. I just hope this helps explain my (admittedly unusual!) stance a bit.
I thought Iain said earlier that the print edition would cost whatever magazines cost, and there would be a truncated online edition for less money.
ReplyDeletePerhaps I misunderstood his original post.
Verity
ReplyDeleteI read the "free to 25,000 elected politicians" bit in the two articles linked from Iain's original post, and thought that they were unlikely both to be incorrect on this.
Perhaps its means just the first issue (which is not uncommon at a magazine launch, I gather) and that would be fine with me; though it does look as though advertising is intended to cover most if not all costs.
However it is marketed, I look forward to seeing the first issue in my emailbox!
Iain, as you may be aware, we're of very different political persuasions (me being anarchal communist) but should you have a dire need for a George article you've been unable to locate online or on eBay, email me and I will trawl through my archives for it. I have, as I've said, most of them.
ReplyDelete