The Big Issue has been rightly lauded for its response to the coronavirus crisis. As a publication sold on the street, they were immediately badly hit by social distancing. But they have found new ways to reach their audience and support their vendors, all of whom are facing social exclusion.

For the last podcast in this first series of Magazine Stories, we're joined by The Big Issue's Managing Editor, Vicky Carroll. We discuss what the magazine has done to keep going in these tough times, as well as taking a trip through her 30 years in journalism.

Vicky has been part of The Big Issue's award-winning team for 12 years. In this interview she tells us about the profound impact that the magazine has had on her, as well as looking back on a career that includes groundbreaking work for the NME, managing major partnerships for the Evening Times… and lots and lots of live music.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rosamund West has been the Editor of The Skinny for more than 10 years. She took over the magazine with a clear goal of establishing its reputation as a leading cultural voice in Scotland, and for the penultimate episode of this series of Magazine Stories she tells us how she went about doing that.

The Skinny is a vital launching pad for talent, with alumni finding their way into many other publications and arts organisations, so she has a great insight into the attributes that mark individuals out as 'ones to watch'. She shares some top advice with us.

She also candidly discusses the challenges The Skinny is facing as the coronavirus crisis hits the events and cultural sectors. Rosamund's passion for magazines, and their ability to "sell you worlds", is compelling.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For this edition of Magazine Stories, we were very lucky to get some time with PPA’s Chief Executive, Barry McIlheney, in the last week of his ten-year stint in that role. He explains how the PPA has been supporting the magazine industry over the last decade, and particularly in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Barry has a truly enviable career. He edited Smash Hits; launched Empire, heat and the French edition of FHM; and he held a series of senior management posts at EMAP. In a reflection of Barry’s many-storied life, our interview features the Oscars red carpet, editing advice from Warren Beatty, and the time a design decision enraged David Bowie.

As he points out, Barry has come a long way from his origins in North Belfast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.