5 reasons I still love working in magazines
I’ve spent my entire career being told that magazines are a sinking ship, but 14 years later I’m still hanging on like a loyal barnacle. During that time, I’ve been offered jobs in other sectors – I even had a couple of years dallying with ‘content’ for a big retailer – but there’s something that keeps bringing me back to the world of women’s mags. Here’s why I still love the job…
The characters
A fossil-like declaration in 2023 I know, but I actually enjoy going to the office, and it’s mainly because of the people. You will never find a funnier bunch of colleagues than an editorial team; from the wry, battle-hardened humour of the mag lifers to the giggling fashion team trying on outrageous pairs of hoof shoes they’ve been sent by PRs. I laugh every day at work, which I’m not sure is true in every industry. Special shout-out to Rosie Mullender at Cosmo who made me cry full-on tears with her impression of the old lady from the Titanic film.
Amazing gossip
Well I can’t say too much… but basically as a mag journo you get to hear a lot of behind-the-scenes gossip on everything from Hollywood stars to politicians, as well as the general media industry drama, which is gripping in itself. It’s also mesmerising being privy to the general craziness that goes into making a magazine: the celebrities who turn out to be absolute b**tards during their interviews, the insane A-list agents, the well-known journalists whose writing turns out to be rubbish and refuse to be edited. FASCINATING.
Constant variety
In the last few months I’ve researched and written features about everything from the closing down of the UK’s last Sylvanian shop (a personal passion project), to the opening of London’s most expensive hotel, to the latest scientific discoveries on how to live longer – plus I got to do a deep-dive into Gail’s! As an easily bored person whose brain immediately implodes upon looking at a spreadsheet or legal contract, I’m honestly not sure I could do most jobs, partly because I would lose interest too quickly. I love delving into zeitgeisty topics and interviewing clever people, and the freedom of being able to draw on anything from fashion trends to psychological journals for my daily work is amazing.
The camaraderie
One thing I could not believe when I worked at the aforementioned retailer was the level of backstabbing and bitchiness that existed between teams at the organisation. The editorial team were fab, but beyond that it was – with a few notable exceptions – very toxic. I know magazines often have a reputation of being full of mean girls, but in my experience the opposite is generally true – it felt like a breath of fresh air returning to the mag industry after my experience in a retail head office. Perhaps this is helped by the fact I’ve only ever worked on weekly magazines, which have regular deadlines that don’t really allow much time for working against each other – you need to pull together as a team to get those 68 pages out every week.
Money-can’t-buy perks
Okay, obviously I had to mention the perks. But I’m not focusing so much on the press trips or the free shampoo – it’s more the money-can’t-buy experiences that I think make journalism very special, like getting to view exhibitions early without the crowds, seeing films first or going for swanky press dinners in private dining rooms (okay, I suppose money could buy some of these things, but certainly not in my life). It’s even better when you get to share these fun experiences with your loved ones. My husband, for example, loves Thorpe Park so much he took me there for our sixth date (I know) – and it’s hilarious taking him to the VIP Halloween night where there’s no queues and you just get to run around riding rollercoasters with Gregg Wallace and Rudimental. Now show me a lawyer or accountant who does that in their day job.