My recent trip to the Meredith headquarters, though incredibly interesting and fun, further confirmed my lack of interest in working for a “seven sisters publication.” The trip gave great insight into the reality of mainstream magazines.
The cover meeting and group discussions, revealed a side of the magazine industry that we often forget about in the Journalism School at MU; money is everything. Meredith editors are very passionate about the publications, whether monthly titles or special interest media, they put on the shelves and for good reason. From my observation, every staff member was juggling publication after publication. When there is so much going on at once and your name is attached to a new magazine it’s safer to go with things, images, layouts and editorials, that you already know will sell. I know I could work for a Meredith publication. I honestly enjoy consistency, however, the reason I was drawn to design in the first place was its opportunity for new, creative and innovative abilities. Without the freedom to test the creative limits and try new ideas, design would not be the adrenaline rush that it is now.
I would rather design for a regional magazine, where I’m forced to be my own editor, designer and photographer, making barely enough to scrap by, then work somewhere that I had to look at the same pictures, the same fonts, the same content every day.
1 comment:
here here!
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