Gorkana meets… Vicente Sánchez Caro of Diez Minutos and Qué Me Dices

As editorial director and editor-in-chief of Diez Minutos and Qué Me Dices (QMD), how do you organise your work with both titles?

The magazines share an editorial team and it is essential that the three deputy editor-in-chiefs work and communicate well together: one for Diez Minutos, one for QMD and one more covering the two digital editions. They can change their roles as much as reporters can within the two titles.

Both magazines cover celebrity and society. What are the biggest differences between the magazines and is there an editorial crossover? Do both magazines have a similar target audience?

The target audiences are similar ages: 35 to 50 years old – even if the audience of QMD is younger than Diez Minutos.

QMD is published on Mondays for a cost of € 1.50 while Diez Minutos is released on Wednesdays for a cost of € 1.80. Diez Minutos is, to say, somehow “more serious” and QMD has a subtitle saying that it is “El Corazón más divertido” [“The most funny heart” as gossip magazines in Spanish are called “revistas del corazón”].

What does a typical working day look like for you?

When you work in the world of VIPs there is no typical working day. Each is different depending on deadlines and whether it’s press day or not. QMD closes on Fridays while Diez Minutos on Mondays. What is certain is that we do not have much time to relax.

How do you source and select your stories?

We feed from our own sources, from social events coming up and from the work of news agencies and ‘paparazzi’.

From 2008 – when the recession started – until today, the Spanish editorial landscape has significantly changed. How has this affected your job?

Well, one thing is clear. Before, I directed a single magazine and now I am directing two and two websites. Now with 18 people we produce both publications and their websites. Before, to do the same, we had the double the number of journalists.

What is the best way for PRs to approach you and the publications?

If there is a press conference, it is enough to send an email. When we talk about reports of specific people, then we prefer to talk more in-depth over the phone.

What makes a newsworthy story on social media?

A news component, with an impact, and, of course, that it provokes a debate.

You have been in journalism for almost 30 years. Considering how the profession has changed over the last three decades, what advice would you give to aspiring journalists?

I would suggest to them not to let themselves be beaten by discouragement even if everyone keeps saying that this profession is in decline. If you are passionate about the role, fight for it!

• Vicente Sánchez Caro was interviewed by Gorkana’s Mario Cipriano