I thought as it's a light news day I'd give a little update on the progress of Total Politics, the magazine we're launching in June. There's a new temporary website at http://www.totalpolitics.com/ which should give a flavour of what we're up to. We have a team of ten working flat out on the first issue, led by our editor Sarah Mackinlay in conjunction with our executive editor Shane Greer and political editor Ben Duckworth.
We've also completed the lineup of our advisory board, whose remit is to feed in ideas for features and ensure that the magazine retains its editorial independence. The 12 person board is made up of David Trimble, Paddy Ashdown, Denis MacShane, David Davis, Shami Chakrabarti, Brian Brivati, Angus MacNeil, Andrew Mackinlay, Caroline Lucas, Guto Harri, Chris Huhne and Sir Simon Milton. Our advertising manager Malcolm Dunn is busy drumming up advertising business and our graphic design people have come up with some design work and page spreads.
We've appointed a PR firm to handle our pre launch PR and the launch event in late June. We have a network of correspondents all over the world, although we're still on the lookout for more. We have also appointed Scottish and Northern Irish correspondents, but have yet to find someone in Cardiff.
Anyway, as I say, the Total Politics website is temporary and we hope to appoint an agency this week to build the full site. We've got some great ideas for it - including a huge resource centre for everyone in politics, which I'll go into in more detail another time. Anyway, I'm not intending to give a running commentary on the whole launch, but I've had quite a few emails from people asking what's happening. If you'd like more regular updates register in the Contact box on the front page.
So you think it can do as GQ has done - does that mean you are going to let men talk about the issues that mean something to them like women have been doing over the past 15 years? - such as cars, science, male medicine, divorce, paternity leave, gay (mens) rights etc.
ReplyDeleteIf you target audience is everyone - then you may fail. If you target men then you at least have a focus.
Tragically, Javelin said: "If you (sic) target audience is everyone - then you may fail. If you target men then you at least have a focus."
ReplyDeleteSo much for The Speccie, then. Or The New Statesman. Or Iain Dale's Diary.
Still needing someone for Cardiff? Or you could have someone who can cover Welsh politics, which is mostly outside the chattering classes in the Bay and generally south of the M5 [Wales' equivalent to the M25 effect].
ReplyDeleteAgriculture, manufacturing and tourism are in steep decline. Politics is changing too - being a Tory in North Wales has gone from taboo to fashionable; traditional Welsh Liberalism is slipping away from the LibDems. Labour is in freefall in its core areas. But above all else, most people North of the M5 could not give a t+&$ about the chattering on the Bay.
Or even the M4 - anonymous - geography not a strong point!
ReplyDeleteRe: your advisory board...
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you include a few people from the real world as a leavening for the politicians and media tarts?
I know of some intelligent, youthful bloggers from Cardiff who have a thoughtful, nuanced perspective to offer.
ReplyDeleteNot.
I am glad I made that little right "on" contribution to the TP website Iain. Just between us of course.
ReplyDelete