Gorkana meets…The Scotsman Online

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Patrick McPartlin, deputy digital editor at The Scotsman, on covering news during a momentous year for Scotland, why PRs are essential for feature content and playing up the Scottish angle in a pitch.

You were appointed deputy digital editor of The Scotsman in February – how have things been going?scotsman

It’s been going really well. I’d been acting in the role for a while, so it’s not been too much of a culture shock. There have been some big and, in parts, difficult stories to cover in my first few weeks, including the death of the independent MSP Margo MacDonald, Hearts’ ongoing administration and the tragic death of a 12-year-old pupil at an Edinburgh high school, but that’s part and parcel of the job.

It’s a great role to have though. I’m still enjoying it so far which is probably a good sign! Plus, no two days are the same, and there’s a certain element of the unknown every time I come into work which keeps things fresh and interesting.

Talk us through the different sections on the site.

Our main sections are News, Sport, Business, Lifestyle and a What’s On section, which focuses primarily on Scottish arts events. All of these sections will then have a number of sub-sections.

We’ve also introduced a section devoted entirely to the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence. Also, our heritage section, in which we focus on a number of Scottish topics, including history and language, is a big hit with both Scots and those further afield.

Our newly-launched video section is blossoming as well, and we’re looking forward to really making the most of that in the coming months too.

Can we get some stats about the average reader of The Scotsman Online?

There isn’t one to be perfectly honest. One of the strengths of our site is that we can attract a wide range of visitors. For example, the fact that Outlander is being filmed in Scotland at the moment has brought a lot of US-based visitors to our site who might not have earmarked The Scotsman as the place to get Outlander updates.

Our coverage of various sports, education, health, technology, arts and even bizarre news stories means that we’re aware of a very mixed demographic on the site which in turn widens our options for content.

Plus, our use of social media, in particular Twitter, Facebook and Google+, tends to extend that even further.

Do all stories on the site need to have a Scottish element?

Not at all, although understandably a large percentage do. For instance, with the upcoming referendum on Scottish independence, similar campaigns like the Catalan independence movement, or the situation in Quebec are gathering prominence as those debating the issue look for comparable situations. And given the site’s Scottish independence sub-section, it makes sense to cover contemporary scenarios.

We don’t limit non-Scottish coverage to foreign politics, though. If there’s a story that we think is interesting enough to appeal to our audience then we’ll look into putting something on the site – from major natural disasters to light-hearted stories at the quirkier end of the spectrum.

And obviously sport is a different story altogether what with European football, Six Nations rugby and various golf tournaments. It’s nice to have a Scottish link but it’s less crucial in our sports coverage.

How can PRs help with content?

PRs are a big help for sourcing feature content. We get a number of PRs contacting us about whisky-related stories, or Scottish mobile apps, etc. The list really is endless, but we’re always keen for Scottish features or ideas with an intriguing, or unexpected, Scottish twist.

And naturally, we’re eager to build relationships with firms or individuals who can provide us with different or creative ideas with that Scottish angle and with those who ‘get’ what we do.

What is the best way for them to get in touch?

Nearly always by email. It’s much easier to dismiss a pitch over the phone if it’s an especially busy day, but I’ll always notice relevant or interesting ideas in my inbox.

I have been contacted on Twitter a few times as well though, which is a bit different to the usual methods – so even shunning conventional methods can work!

What’s the most common thing you have to tell PRs you won’t cover?

I don’t think there’s anything specific that crops up more than others, although local events outside Scotland tend to be rejected. As do case studies for stories we haven’t covered. We tend to reject pitches that are just lengthy lists of things as well.

What key meetings should PRs be aware of?

We tend not to meet at the same time every week, but mornings are probably the best time to send pitches over, as it helps us plan for the rest of the day and there’s a greater chance we’ll be able to use any good ideas pitched to us on the same day.

Top tips for PRs when pitching ideas?

Play up any and all Scottish references. No matter how daft you might think it is, there’s a chance we’ll think it’s brilliant, or at the very least, worth covering.

Know who and what you’re dealing with. A little research could prevent a wasted phone call for both of us.

If we reject something, don’t try and rehash it into something you think we’ll like. I personally tend to decide very quickly if there’s potential in a pitch, no matter what way it’s presented.

We’re open to video content and anything a little different. If you’ve got an unusual pitch, it’s always worth sending it over on the off-chance.

What’s next for The Scotsman Online?

It’s obviously a huge year for Scotland, with the independence referendum, the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles all within a few months of each other. The country is going to be in the global limelight for all those events, and the chance to be at the forefront of that is a golden opportunity and one we’re all relishing. As far as future plans go, I’m afraid my lips are sealed. You’ll just have to keep an eye out in the coming months!

Patrick was talking to Gorkana’s Richard O’Donnell

Gorkana meets…Evening Standard food editor

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Victoria Stewart, food editor at the London Evening Standard, on balancing print and online content, why PRs should summarise press releases and her favourite London eateries.

Being a food editor sounds like a dream job…tell us about your role.

My job is to keep abreast of what is happening in London’s ever-changing food world, from new products, businesses and chefs, to the latest restaurant openings, pop-ups, supper clubs and food trends. I write, edit and commission some of the content for the paper and our website Standard.co.uk.

What content do you cover and how much do you produce each day for the paper and online?

A lot of what we do day-to-day is driven by what happens in the news but we also have regular weekly columnists. In the paper, our leading restaurant review by Fay Maschler runs every Wednesday alongside the Bar Gazer column, while our second restaurant review and Richard Godwin’s The Spirits drinking column runs on Thursdays.

There are also key interviews, ongoing trends pieces, 5 Best Lists on food and drink, area guides and the Al Desko column shared by all of us.

Online, we run a Friday Going Out guide featuring foodie things to do, with more roundups throughout the week of where and when to eat around the city. Two weeks ago we launched a new Drink of the Week column by BarChick. I don’t have a fixed remit but I tend to write a couple of short trend-led pieces or perhaps a meatier piece and a 5 Best List each week and also help generate ideas and contribute to food-related pieces covered by some of the other feature writers.

In addition to that, because I am now working across print and Standard.co.uk, I have to try and combine what we do in the paper with something to complement it online. It’s an interesting process.

Do you have much contact with your readers and what they want?

Most of us have Twitter accounts where people can get in touch with ideas; readers also occasionally write letters or emails telling us whether they enjoyed a particular piece. It’s great when small business owners call to say how their sales have escalated following a story in the paper. Other than that we can tell a lot from our online hits.

The restaurant market is pretty saturated in London – what does a new eatery need to do to catch your eye?

For the Standard it’s about getting the news first and covering it in an enjoyable and intelligent way. I tend to look out for ideas whilst out and about, on Twitter, reading food publications, and talking to PRs and people in the industry. From a story point of view, we are interested in who is behind it, the concept and the menu, each something that could work as a standalone piece or as part of a wider feature. If a restaurant owner or a PR person is getting in touch with us, whether it’s a mad or a more serious business idea, it always helps to have a clear explanation of what it is and preferably good quality accompanying pictures.

How can PRs help with content?

The best thing they can do is to become familiar with our pages and get a feel for the types of stories we run; that way they won’t waste our time pitching things that we don’t have a slot for. For example, if they represent a restaurant with an ingredient on it that a new chef has begun experimenting with, it is worth telling us about in case there’s a trends piece in it. Equally, the chef might have an interesting story to tell so that’s worth flagging up. If it’s a new takeaway lunch product available in London, it would fit into our Al Desko column, for example.

How do you like to work with PRs?

I like to be sent information by email with a line summarising what the press release is all about; sometimes they can be very labour intensive and if we’re on a deadline we don’t always have time to go through them in detail. I don’t mind phone calls, but generally only if it’s with a new idea that is relevant to us with targeted content. There is nothing worse than being in the middle of something and being asked “just wondering what you’re working on at the moment?” from someone you don’t know.

When is the best time for PRs to feed in ideas?

Any time really. Phone calls are best not done first thing as we often have catch-up meetings, or might be finishing up for the edition.

What’s the most common thing you have to tell PRs you’re not interested in?

Baby food products come up a lot, as do trade fairs outside London, or books written by people with no connection to London, plus products that we might like but have absolutely nowhere to cover in the paper.

What do PRs need to think about when pitching?

As above, look at our pages and our online sections – we are always writing with those in mind, so it’s useful to have ideas that correspond.

Pics are obviously important to illustrate your pieces – what sort of pics can PRs help with?

For products, we need good quality cut-out-able food shots in or out of the packaging; for Going Out-related content, anything lively with people socialising is useful, but nothing too cheesy! With a new restaurant, it’s always useful to have a nice high res pic of the chef, preferably smiling. We also never print black and white photographs.

What days does food feature most prominently in the paper?

In the paper we tend to run something foodie most days.

Do you ever offer suggestions for places to visit outside London?

We don’t tend to, no.

Finally (we have to ask!) – where are your favourite places to eat in London?

We are lucky to have lots of brilliant places here, but everything depends on the mood, your budget, and where you are. Nuno Mendes’ Chiltern Firehouse is my current favourite for food and atmosphere, with the River Café a close second. Smaller and consistently good favourites include Brawn, Pitt Cue Co, Copita, Quo Vadis, Polpetto and Polpo. I also blog about street food; Pasta e Basta, the Jhal Muri Express, Yum Bun and Mike & Ollie are some of my top hits.

Victoria was talking to Gorkana’s Richard O’Donnell

 

Need to Know: Esquire.co.uk

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Sam Parker, deputy editor of Esquire.co.uk, on the redesign of the award-winning website, reaching half a million MUUs and what PRs can do to help with content.

You moved over from BuzzFeed to Esquire last July. How’s it been going?

Great thanks. When I arrived, my editor and our design team had just finished redesigning the site. It looks fantastic – genuinely unlike any other magazine website out there. Since then traffic has more than trebled and we also won ‘Magazine Website Of The Year’ at the Digital Magazine Awards just before Christmas, which was a nice way to cap off the relaunch.

Describe Esquire.co.uk in five words.

I like our magazine motto: ‘style and substance’. I think that’s what we offer: trust worthy advice, a bit of fun and a meatier read when you want it. Hang on, that’s only three isn’t it? I’ve never been much good with word counts – just ask my boss.

Can you give us some stats on the readership?

We’ve just reached half a million unique visitors a month, and growing. The website’s typical visitor is an educated, 27-year-old man who is starting to make a little money, loves fashion and wants to keep up to date with culture. The same man who buys Esquire in print, basically, just slightly younger. We have a considerable female audience as well, which is great.

How does online content differ from the magazine?

We’re a little more accessible, where the magazine is more aspirational. The print edition might recommend a Dolce & Gabbana blazer that costs a thousand pounds – and that’s great, whether you can afford it now or like to dream one day you will – while we’ll tend to find something more immediately accessible. We also publish opinion pieces, news stories and a lot on web culture, which don’t appear as often in the magazine. But the DNA across all the incarnations of Esquire is the same: we want to be a funny, smart and useful resource for men.

Which channels on the site can PRs help most with?

Style and culture are our biggest areas, so news stories, interview opportunities and screenings are always helpful. Food and drink and gadgets are smaller but still important.

How much original content is created for Esquire.co.uk?

The majority of what goes online is original, but there is so much fantastic stuff on the print and ipad editions, we’d be mad not to use that too. But the days of just replicating print article online in their original form are long gone (or should be). Every article we take from the magazines needs to be rethought and edited for an online audience, from the headline to how we present it.

The magazine launched a weekly digital title, Esquire Weekly, in September. How have readers taken to it?

The feedback has been fantastic. It looks stunning and it costs less than your morning coffee. I wrote my first piece for it this year about Facebook’s 10th birthday, and the concept the design the team came up with was incredible. I also managed to sneak a picture of my Dad into that one, so now he can say he’s an Esquire model.

What should PRs be thinking about before pitching an idea?

I’d like to hear more original ideas, particularly with a web focus. Can someone interesting or famous blog for us, or take over our Twitter feed for the day? Or even guest edit the site? What can talent offer us in terms of social media support? Is there any original video or pictures with the story?

We’ve heard that you’re a pretty approachable guy when it comes to PRs. How do you like them to contact you?

First of all, I don’t think that’s always true. In fact I’d like to take this opportunity to apologise to anyone in PR who has ever contacted me before 12pm on a Monday morning. But personally, I much prefer emails to phone calls. Like most pretentious writer types, I hate being distracted when I’m working (even if it’s just on a paragraph about a new Godzilla trailer). I like to tackle the email pile at set times of the week rather than being badgered on the phone. I always get back to everyone eventually, promise!

What’s the most common thing you have to tell PRs you’re not interested in / won’t cover?

Cocktail recipes. We love cocktails, obviously, but there probably isn’t one left under the sun that we haven’t already got on the site. But overall we’re very lucky to work with a lot of fantastic PRs who know the brand very well.

Finally, when not working on Esquire.co.uk, what site are you most regularly checking out?

I’m a terrible culture snob and long read fanatic, so I spend a lot of time on The New Yorker, The Atlantic, US Esquire – that sort of thing. That’s the respectable answer. The less respectable answer is that I spend a lot of time on Newcastle United football blogs and obsessively checking Twitter.

@samparkercouk

Sam was talking to Gorkana’s Richard O’Donnell

Gorkana meets…ShortList Sport

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Ben Isaacs, sports editor at ShortList, on playing tennis with Pete Sampras, the importance of access and exclusivity and why PRs with ideas for the World Cup 2014 should get in contact now.

You’ve been in the role for nearly a month. How has it been going?benshortlist

Busy. I was already covering sport and fitness but since making this title official, we’ve been presented with far more interview opportunities and training events than ever before. In the middle of all this, an interview I did with author James Ellroy in LA last year was in the magazine and went viral around the world. So I’ve also been fielding questions about that.

What sport content tickles the fancy of ShortList readers?

Our readers love football, but all the big sporting events register on their radar. For example, during the 6 Nations, within Man:Machine we’ve gone big on what readers can learn from international rugby players. Lots of our readers are keen cyclists so we’ll be making the most of the Tour De France starting in Yorkshire to provide them with some unmissable insight that will make any man faster and more efficient.

How much sport features in the average weekly issue?

There’s a sport story in the Notebook section most issues, tying into whatever’s happening that week. We have regular sport-related features as well, covering anything from homosexuality in football to a guide to the 2013 Lions squad touring Australia. As well as that we have two pages of sport and fitness advice within Man:Machine every week.

You also cover fitness – tell us about that…

Our readership is full of keen gym goers, cyclists, runners and more. Our Man:Machine section is a great resource for them because we fill it with useful tips and information from experts to help men reach their goals. Whether you want to cycle to the office quicker, look great in a T-shirt or know what foods to swap from your diet to lose weight we’ve got you covered.

I’m in the gym most lunchtimes – partly so I’m in decent enough shape to train with the Welsh rugby team, play tennis with Pete Sampras or whatever else is coming up (I’ve done both of those in the past couple of weeks). Last year we held the inaugural ShortList Triathlon and it’s great to help our readers push themselves further. We also love testing out the latest kit, be it bike gadgets, running tops, football boots, protein powders or whatever. These are things we know our readers spend money on.

How can PRs help with content?

Give us great access and exclusive action shots. Too often we’re offered shots of a bored looking sportsman holding a product.

What should PRs be thinking about when pitching ideas?

We have a larger circulation than all our rivals put together so you should come to us first. If it’s access to a sportsman we want to know if it will be exclusive and if we can get out and do something with them.

What’s the best way for a PR to get in contact?

I’m not always around my phone and rarely get the chance to check my voicemail (sorry) so email or even Twitter (@tweetsfromben) is preferable. Lay out your idea in a short email (without huge attachments please) and if it’s of interest I’ll get back to you when I can.

Top tips for PRs when pitching?

Make sure you’re familiar with the magazine. At least once a week I’m emailed asking if I’d like to do a story on a women’s health issue. Don’t ask for copy approval – we’re not going to stitch anyone up, it’s not our style. Don’t call me Benjamin – it’s not my name.

Which sports personality would you most like to interview?

Diego Maradona. In my dream scenario we’d style him, shoot some amazing pictures and get him to hold court on everything that’s right and wrong in football now. Can you imagine if he was in his prime now and tearing up the Premier League?

How does online content for sport differ from the magazine?

The Shortlist.com team do a lot of fun sport stuff but with the website being more entertainment focused it has a slightly different approach to the main magazine. I have no control over what I’ve worked on will go online nor do I write anything sport-related for the site so PRs should be aware that no matter how much great video content you offer me you will have to speak to the online team. It’s out of my hands.

Do you provide content for Mr Hyde?

I’ve never provided sport content for them. Sport isn’t a priority for Mr Hyde but members of that team have been or will be working on some fitness content for Man:Machine in the mag. Despite all the restaurants and bars they visit they keep in pretty good shape.

Are there any sports you won’t cover?

We’ve shied away from UFC and MMA in general because it doesn’t fit our brand profile. I can’t imagine fishing breaking through either. I wouldn’t rule out darts but it’s unlikely. We’ve had some terrible luck in the world of boxing with fights being cancelled the week of a feature and even someone unexpectedly retiring a week before we were going to run an interview with him, but boxing has remained on our agenda.

Finally, what have you got planned for the World Cup 2014?

I can’t say too much because it’s still under wraps but I’ve been working on our coverage since January. There will be several weeks of brilliant stories building up to the big kick off. The issue that comes out when the World Cup starts will be one that every sports fan will want next to the TV throughout the tournament. That much I can guarantee. It’s going to be a very exciting couple of months of coverage. Any PR with access and ideas should get in touch ASAP.

Ben was talking to Gorkana’s Richard O’Donnell

Gorkana meets…talkSPORT

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Robyn Schonhofer, news and sports editor at talkSPORT, on PR spam, her auto delete reflex and creating 48 bulletins every day.

You’ve worked in radio for more than 15 years. Tell us about your career to date.

I got my first job off the back of a work experience placement at Southern FM in Brighton. I was invited back to work over the summer and was then offered a full time job as their reporter. I never went back for the third year of my Journalism degree. I had fantastic mentors at Southern who nurtured me for three years.

I left Southern to join what was Century FM in Manchester where I was a reader on a late night show called Jezza’s Confessions – he’s more commonly known by his full name now, Jeremy Kyle. He’ll always be Jezza to me! Within a year I’d moved to Virgin Radio where I helped launch their in house news service. After three very happy years at Virgin Radio I was approached by talkSPORT and eight years later I’m still here!

You were recently appointed news and sports editor – talk us through your role.

I manage a great team of staff and freelance broadcast journalists who provide the news and sports bulletins on talkSPORT. During the day we have a newsreader and sport reader, while overnight one person will do both. I am still hands on and do bulletins every half an hour between 10am and 5.30pm during the week. In between writing and presenting my bulletins I keep across the wires, flag up stories to programming, make sure the team are on top of what needs to be done and organise rotas.

What sort of content are you after?

Interesting content! As a news team we are really lucky to be working at a 24-hour speech station. We generate a lot of our own stories from the interviews that take place during the shows. Often we will be reporting something that appears in other media outlets the next day. We work to a sports brief so if it’s sports based or a story with sporty twist or angle chances are we’ll be interested.

TalkSPORT became a 24-hour sports station last April – how did that change the way you work?

It changed our focus slightly so that editorially our news bulletins are now more sports based. When I was first presented with the challenge to inject more sport into the news bulletins I thought it would be difficult but sport plays a huge part in our lives (whether you like it or not) and it goes way beyond transfers and injuries. Lance Armstrong’s downfall, the new Hillsborough inquiry, Oscar Pistorius murder charge and Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement are just some of the stories I dealt with last year. Throw in headlines that come out of show interviews and hardly a day goes by without a sports based news story. That’s before you even get to the gift that keeps on giving that is footballers tweeting!

The easiest way to describe how we work editorially is if it happens ‘on the pitch’ e.g. bans, fines, appeals and signings it belongs in sport while if it happens ‘off the pitch’ e.g. court cases, racism allegations, ill advised tweeting, it belongs in news.

Of course major international and national events and stories will always be awarded the respect they deserve but like most broadcasters we aim to tailor our news to our audience and often my lead story will differ from other outlets.

How many news bulletins run each day?

*gets out calculator……. Bulletins run every half an hour 24 hours a day so the simple answer is we create and present 48 news and/or sport bulletins every day. However overnight the bulletins on the half hour are sport only and when we have match commentary it’s not possible to do regular bulletins. I’m on air for the whole of my shift which means I produce and present 16 mews bulletins a day.

Who is the typical talkSPORT listener and which sport attracts most listeners?

talkSPORT is for those who crazy about sport and also for those who have a passing interest in it and want to join in the conversation. I know people who have no real interest in sport but like what the station does and tune in regularly. According to the research figures, most of the audience is male but we’re not gender specific. Football is our key sport.

How can PRs help with content?

Think talkSPORT. There’s in no point bombarding us with press releases about sleep in rollers (that actually happens) what on earth are we going to do with that!? It has to fit with our audience. Obviously we like to focus on sports-orientated stories however many of the shows step outside of that, you have to identify and target them. PR-spamming us (I call it ‘pramming’ because it makes me think it’s a newborn PR person doing it) with generic press releases in the hope of getting coverage is not going to work. If you’re pitching a story make sure you know where it will sit within the station and approach that show directly. Develop a relationship with show producers.

Aside from that, gift wrap the info. If you want to get your story past my auto delete reflex then write a good subject line, tell me the story in the first paragraph and for the love of all that is holy get the facts in there. Sloppy press releases are a no no. So is telling me to go find the information you’ve missed out/ can’t be bothered to include by reading other coverage you have secured. That happened recently. You can imagine how well it went down.

What’s the best way for PRs to get in contact?

Email. Phone if it’s time sensitive. Never call the news desk before the top of the hour or just before the half hour. We’ll be prepping to go on air.

What do they need to think about to make a radio story work?

Remember it’s radio. If it’s visual it’s not going to work. If you have opted for a celebrity spokesperson make sure they match what you’re trying to pitch and they’re not just a Z-lister you’ve secured on the cheap in an attempt to add value. If it’s a company spokesperson make sure they’re comfortable in a media situation and know their stuff.

You’ve got nearly 22,000 followers on Twitter – do you mind if PRs pitch to you via this channel?

If you can pitch something in 140 characters good on you! Approach via twitter but pitch via email, phone or in person.

What do you have to regularly tell PRs you don’t cover?

The list is endless but telling me how great Sleep in Rollers are is top of the most ridiculous list (although I’ve read about them so many times now I might have to get some!)

How much content is shared with the website?

We have a separate online team who look after the website. It reflects and complements what happens on air.

And finally, your favourite sport?

Football. I’ve been a Brighton and Hove Albion fans since I was a child. After that I like basketball and I am fascinated by gymnastics.

Gorkana meets…Top Santé

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Jane Druker, editor of Top Santé, on the magazine’s first interactive issue, why her readers are in their dynamic decade and how PRs can help with content.

You’ve been in the editor’s chair for nearly a year – what’s the biggest challenge you face each month?topsante

To bestow each issue with a special “collectible” feel. It’s important to provide issue-on-issue something meaningful our readers will want to keep and refer to. Also really searching for the genuinely new, fresh take on our readers’ primary health concerns. Often core health stories are cyclical (I’m talking about you sugar!) and offer nothing revealing or brand spanking new.

You relaunched the magazine in September with the new strapline ‘Look After You’. What changes did you make and what has been the reaction from readers?

Yes we kicked off Autumn with a re-design. Top Santé was 20 years old and we wanted to reinvigorate a heritage brand bringing it bang up to date, modern and relevant to our readers’ lives. The tagline changed from ‘Be the Best You’ which, to my mind, implied work, and instead we created a more supportive, truthful statement about the thrust of editorial in the magazine.

What is the content split each issue and how many pages does the magazine run to?

Content is split into health, fitness, food, beauty and experts and issues are 132 pages.

Tell us a bit about the typical Top Santé reader…

She is in the middle of what I call “the dynamic decades”. She is in her 30s and 40s, has a long term partner or husband, children who still live at home, she works and she probably has ageing parents; classic sandwich generation really. Her primary health concern is stress because she often feels overwhelmed, so Top Santé is designed to alleviate her anxieties, and provide insightful, thoughtful and expert guidance for emotional issues, sleep, relaxation, good nutrition, easy fitness tips and beauty that actually works!

What’s the most popular bit of the magazine?

Food, beauty, health are pretty evenly well read.

What can PRs help with most?

Experts and breaking health information (internationally), new products and events that are genuinely relevant.

How do you like to work with PRs?

By email, primarily, on health and events with beauty.

Is there anything that PRs keep sending that you just wouldn’t feature?

Unhealthy food, processed food, low fat foods, diet pills. We believe in healthful food – no fad dieting.

How far in advance does the team work and what key planning meetings should PRs be aware of?

We have a planning meeting next week for our May issue so about four months ahead.

You’re set to launch Top Santé’s first interactive issue next month – tell us more.

Yes it’s the issue on sale now – February. It’s our first interactive issue; as a reader you can be our cover girl by Blipping on the image and adding a selfie! We have a beauty special where you get to try on celebrity hairstyles and a fitness special where each exercise is demonstrated in real time. It’s a first for health magazines and we’re really excited about it.

You also produce a digital edition of the magazine, as well as a free fortnightly newsletter – are there opportunities for PRs to get involved?

Yes – both for information, news and events and competitions and special offers.

Any other plans you can tell us about?

So many exciting plans for 2014 but my lips are sealed so watch this space!

Jane was talking to Gorkana’s Richard O’Donnell

Gorkana meets…People.co.uk

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After last month’s launch of People.co.uk, Gorkana catches up with Sue Douglas, publisher, Sunday Brands Ltd at Trinity Mirror, on news without the boring bits, taking risks and why PRs have a vital role to play.

As part of plans to transform Sunday People into a seven-day digital offer, you’ve overseen the recent launch of People.co.uk – what has been the reaction so far?

Exhilaratingly positive. People like it. There is real interest in something different AT LAST.

The design of the site is pretty unique compared to your competitors, with you even saying it’s a bit like BuzzFeed. What’s the thinking behind it?

We live in a visual world, increasingly dominated by constant communication and sharing of life’s experiences. Wordsmith that I am, pictures and moving pictures – video – is increasingly the answer in a busy, busy world.

Can you compete with the ‘big boys’ like MailOnline?

We are different and complementary. I love MailOnline. This is making news the hero, humour the centre piece, but celebrity will always belong to [MailOnline editor] Martin Clarke.

It has been billed as “news without the boring bits” – tell us more…

That is it. News. Not boring. I am a news junkie but even I flag when I get to the seventh paragraph on quantitative easing in the FT.

The seven-day operation is being run by a separate editorial team to the Sunday paper. Will there be any crossover in terms of content?

Our fledgling team of journalists draw content from every source. Being close to other journalists, busy collecting stories for a newspaper helps both sides.

Are you expecting to attract different readers than the paper?

Totally, but People.co.uk is inclusive and hopefully will attract readers as well as completely new users.

Talk us through the key channels of the site.

News, news and news. It is a snapshot of the way we live, the things we want to know and need to know, the gossip, the pictures, the trends, the people. The key channels are the key channels of our life. The “did you know?!!” revelatory stories, the things that make us laugh, smile, choke on our cornflakes. The strands are the zeitgeist: sport, which is always our religion, fashion, music, culture, art and that meaningless word lifestyle, plus politics, science, superstition, stars, money, animals, food and anything that people like.

How much new content is added on a daily basis?

A minimum of 21 tiles a day that each represent a content “column”, updated news crunch every eight hours.

How can PRs help with content?

PRs generate content about their clients. If journalists believe those stories are timely, pertinent and interesting, then PRs have a vital role as providers of stories.

What do PRs need to be thinking about when pitching to the online team?

Top tips for PRs when pitching? Tell us a story.

The site is being funded through native advertising, with zero display advertising. Tell us about this method.

We contextualise, in a real story we are running anyway, the commercial business offering, product, service or message eg Cameron says there are other ways to keep warm than pay huge heating bills. We do 10 ways to keep warm. One is a lovely fluffy jumper from our partner.

You’ve also got an interesting approach to commercial partnerships on the site…

Talent agencies are swapping stories and content from their famous clients for projection, packaging, context and ideas. Ad agencies are talking to their clients about a different way of addressing and interacting with users that are increasingly advertising “blind” and do not even notice an advert on a digital platform.

What brands tick the boxes for partnership opportunities with People.co.uk?

Any that are daring enough and cogniscent enough of a new world where people interact with real stories and turn off to two dimensional static messages.

And finally, your ambition is to hit a million unique users a month by early next year – how are you tracking?

Google analytics track the numbers and all things empirical. We are the creative (I hope!) power house that is trying to give people a different way of finding out about events in the world around them. It’s a risk, but without taking risks we can never progress and find a future.

Sue was talking to Gorkana’s Richard O’Donnell

Gorkana meets…Telegraph Men

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Paul Davies, editor of The Daily Telegraph’s online men’s channel, on attracting a new, younger audience, the hungry beast of digital publishing and why he relies on PRs for good ideas.

September saw you launch a dedicated online men’s channel billed as ‘expert advice and sharp opinion for the modern male’ – tell us more…

Telegraph Men is a new daily online channel aimed predominantly at men aged between 25 and early 40s. It’s a sort of digital men’s magazine, covering everything from fashion to fitness, from lighter subjects such as the etiquette of the post-work pint to more serious stuff such as what it’s like to be a male victim of domestic abuse.

What’s the mix of content on the site and how is it different from other sites for men?

Obviously The Telegraph already has plenty of content that appeals to men – from sport and business to music, technology and so on. We didn’t just want Telegraph Men to duplicate subjects that are well covered, so we decided to go big on subject areas where there was plenty of room for growth, such as fitness, grooming, style, health, recreational sport and relationships.

We recruited a team of contributors who are experts in their field, from some of the leading figures in men’s fashion to world-beating sportsman, and they’ll all be sharing their insider knowledge. There’ll also be witty, irreverent and provocative opinion pieces, plus some extraordinary first-person experiences.

The tone of the site is very important: we want to be grown-up without being boring, knowledgeable but not preachy, funny without being laddy, confident but not arrogant. We’ll be aspirational but firmly rooted in the real world.

Is this taking The Telegraph in a new area?

Definitely. As a newspaper The Telegraph is often perceived as being something for older readers and as having a certain view of the world. But online it’s possible to carve out something new, as The Telegraph has already proved with Wonder Women and its Fashion channel. We want Telegraph Men to feel like part of The Telegraph family but with a different identity, featuring writers, subjects and viewpoints you might not expect to see elsewhere in The Telegraph. If we get it right it will hopefully bring a new, younger audience to The Telegraph and challenge those old stereotypes.

How many stories are published each day?

Anything between eight and 15.

Will any content be replicated in the paper?

Some of our fashion content already appears in the paper, in the Saturday magazine and in our Men’s Style supplements, but in time more of our content could well appear in print as well as online. I hope so.

What has traffic been like since launch?

I’d be shot if I gave any exact figures away, but we’ve exceeded our targets by some distance, and there are optimistic plans for the channel to grow considerably in 2014. We’ve got a long way to go before we get to where we want to be, but we’re on the right track.

What can PRs help most with?

Digital publishing is a hungry beast. We need a constant supply of good ideas and we rely on PRs enormously to help supply those, whether it’s a new product or event we should be writing about or an interesting individual we should be interviewing.

The site features a regular video strand, Instant Expert, where professionals will share their ‘man skills’ – how important is video content and is that something PRs can help with?

Video content is vital and will be increasingly important as Telegraph Men grows. Digital users expect more and more of it so it can’t just be an afterthought or a little added extra. Instant Expert is the first dedicated strand that we’ve launched, but we plan to expand our video content in several directions as we grow. Sometimes we’ll use video to supplement a story, something the video will be the entire story, and we’re very keen for PRs to come to us with ideas. Because we’re a new site we’re open to all sorts of suggestions and keen to try new things.

Best way for PRs to get in contact?

Email is best – [email protected] or [email protected].

Top tips when pitching?

It may sound obvious, but think about why we’d want to cover whatever it is you’re pitching. What’s the story, the angle, the USP? Be patient. A lot of people are sending us ideas and it takes a while to assess them all. But don’t give up and if you haven’t heard back, please try again.

The channel has contributions from the likes of model David Gandy, designer Oliver Spencer and sportsman James Cracknell. Would you be up for hearing about other potential high profile contributors from PRs?

Always. We’re constantly looking to do one-off pieces with high-profile contributors and we need PRs to come to us with suggestions. We’ve worked with a number of big-name contributors already, from Usain Bolt and Sebastian Vettel to Patrick Grant and Arctic Monkeys, but we’re not just after household names. If they’ve got something interesting to say, we want to hear from them.

Paul was talking to Gorkana’s Richard O’Donnell

Gorkana meets…Cosmo Fashion

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Gorkana catches up with , Cosmo’s fashion and style director, a week after the launch of new standalone title Cosmopolitan FASHION, on why it isn’t the archetypal fashion magazine.

Firstly, tell us about your role at Cosmo.cosmofashion

I’m the fashion and style director here at Cosmopolitan, which basically means I oversee the content of our fashion pages, ensuring we create a realistic balance between what’s presented on the catwalks and what’s reflected upon our fashion pages. I also work with the beauty team to create images for the more lifestyle-orientated beauty features.

Day to day, myself and my team create social content for Instagram, Twitter and our website, alongside the nitty gritty of producing editorial, meeting PRs and planning forthcoming shoots.

What’s the thinking behind Cosmopolitan FASHION?

We’re really excited about Cosmopolitan FASHION as it gives us an opportunity to showcase what we do best in a unique environment. It showcases the trends, but in an accessible, dip in, dip out sort of way. We aim to offer fashion to all budgets, lifestyles, shapes and sizes and to make fashion feel inclusive and fun, whilst still feeling glossy and aspirational. We want it to be the glossy one stop shop for Cosmo girls.

What makes it different from other fashion mags on the newsstands?

As above, I think Cosmopolitan FASHION will stand out because it isn’t the archetypal fashion magazine full to bursting with unaffordable fashion. It’s glossy and gorgeous but you’ll find Miss Selfridge and you’ll find Mulberry. It’s realistic. We’ve also tried to make it informative without being patronising, fun without being silly and not obsessed with celebrity culture as inspiration for a way to dress. Our girls can make their own minds up.

The first issue came out on September 18 – how has it been received?

The magazine has been really well received with lots of positive emails, calls and tweets from both the readers, press offices and ad agencies. People like the luxe feel, the larger size and seeing Cosmo fashion showcased like this. I’m hoping it shows the industry just how our girl likes to consume her fashion…a large helping of luxe fashion inspiration, big dollop of product with some giggles along the way.

Cosmopolitan FASHION is 35% larger in format than the monthly magazine, what sort of content does it feature?

Trends, must-have designer buys, hero high street fashion features, trend pieces for curvier girls, think piece from funny man Danny Wallace, how to…features, lots of shopping, comment, an interview with Gaelle Paul, stylist to Adele….

How much will PRs be able to help with content?

PRs are our go-to for suitable stories and of course product. Now that the first issue has landed we will then evolve and delve deeper for great content and exciting exclusives…

Which parts of the magazine can PRs help with most?

Mostly samples, but exclusives and great Cosmopolitan FASHION friendly ideas are gratefully received…

What tips do you have for PRs wanting to pitch an idea?

We just rely on the normal channels of email (we tend to get besieged with a lot of ideas that are just way off track) – great product, new launches, interesting collaborations and link ups that are totally Cosmo worthy.

How do you want PRs to make contact?

Via email is great: [email protected].

This is the fifth stand alone magazine to come from Cosmo, following in the footsteps of Cosmopolitan BEAUTY, Cosmopolitan BODY and others. What’s next?

You’ll have to ask the Boss….Louise Court 😉

Shelly was talking to Gorkana’s Richard O’Donnell

Gorkana meets…InStyle

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Delphine Lamande-Frearson, beauty director at InStyle, on why long, lyrical press releases are a waste of time, sensing the hard sell and the versatile nature of beauty.

You joined InStyle as beauty director in the summer. What have you got planned in your new role?

I have spent the first few months working on plans to evolve beauty content on both print andelphine-lamande-frearsond digital platforms. I anticipate changes to happen organically, so slowly but surely.

You’ve worked and freelanced for a variety of fashion mags. What makes InStyle stand out?

It is the perfect mix of premium and commercial content. High-fashion blends in seamlessly with more practical features and the celebrity content is always aspirational rather than sensational and gossipy. The overall voice is positive and constructive.

Instyle has a reputation for being a fashion and beauty bible – how much of the magazine’s content is beauty?

We have more pages than most glossies as beauty is indeed a huge part of our DNA and beauty coverage crops up in other sections too as we treat it as a lifestyle element, which means it is equally relevant on the entertainment, fashion or travel pages too.

What content resonates most with readers?

Our readers want to be inspired so they love reading about what the stars like and the tricks to get their looks. Whether style, make-up or wellbeing, they want to know what works but also what’s premium, so our content needs to be both actionable and aspirational.

What type of thing would you not cover?

Anything negative, gossipy and plain false obviously but also anything too plain and everyday. Our readers want an upgrade from where they are currently because it pushes them to perform better and get what they want. They don’t want to settle for something they already have.

What can PRs help most with?

Getting all the info relevant to our market is key for good coverage, so PRs should manage their client’s expectations so they contact us only if the product/service is appropriate for our specific market.

Getting all info and access to experts is always best as we like to get the story ourselves rather than being fed marketing strategies. Long, lyrical press releases without pricing or stockists info is a waste of time and resources, while a few quotes and stats may spark interest and lead to more questions.

Do you prefer to receive samples to review or are you happy with a press release and image?

It is key for us to test products. How would you otherwise review something genuinely and thoroughly? That wouldn’t be called journalism but plain laziness.

However having an image handy is always useful. Although we shoot our still-life for style consistency, having a high-res image of the products mentioned is a good back-up. For online coverage, it is a necessity as it allows us to be even more reactive and relevant.

Would you ever use Twitter to request samples, request ideas/images?

Not really unless necessary. Twitter is a platform we like to use to communicate with our audience, to build a more personal relationship with our followers.

People tend to use Twitter as they do emails and text messages and that’s just wrong. Would you say what you tweet in front of more than 36k people (@InStyle_Beauty followers)? If you wouldn’t, then just don’t tweet it.

Some people use it to their own personal advantage and we are trying to monitor who we interact with as we don’t support personal/commercial branding on our platform. It has to remain a place where we communicate with the people who love InStyle first and foremost.

What does a typical week look like for you?

Every week is different as the nature of beauty is that coverage is so versatile. From fashion-led to science-centered via celebrity-based, our research can lead us backstage at shows, at a movie premiere or visiting a lab. But don’t be fooled; we also spend long hours glued to our screens to finish features and we have countless internal meetings with various departments to ensure InStyle stays the covetable style bible it has been for years.

Working on the print, we schedule two issues at once so we are at least three months ahead of launch dates but digitally our turnaround can be minutes, literally.

We have daily schedule meetings to address any changes so content remains fresh and informative.

How should PRs make contact?

The best way to get through to us is via email. The info is immediately saved on our computers and it doesn’t interrupt the work flow. Cold calling is old-fashioned and we just know it means a client is pushing their PR team too hard. It puts everyone in an uncomfortable situation as we sense hard sell and ironically, the product is usually not even relevant to our market so it is a waste of time for everyone.

The website attracts a slightly older audience than the magazine. Does that mean you cover different products for the site?

Not really as the difference is very subtle. We don’t duplicate content. We are building a unique voice across our different platforms so our audience feels at home, but the digital content will cater for mobile usage and therefore be more quickly actionable while the content in print will be more in-depth so our readers take more time to enjoy their reading. Both will increasingly work in sync to offer more to our audience.

Finally, the InStyle Beauty Awards have become a glamorous fixture on the beauty calendar – how can PRs get involved?

This is a great question as everyone seems to think we do nominate in-house like many other magazine awards. Our unique point of difference and great strength lies in the colossal amount of work in the months leading to the awards. We actually get a panel of more than 400 judges to start with and collate answers from a large part of that panel to reveal what people in-the-know genuinely like. So it is key that PRs support experts throughout the year so they work with products for a long period of time before they start judging.

A few cheeky experts have been known to ask for free products to review during the nominating process, which we don’t support as the idea is to champion a product an expert has truly worked with over the past year, not something they try only once or twice.

The winners come from a genuine, voting process and we eliminate anyone who seems to use the awards for personal branding or not honestly. Our priority is to inform our audience and make sure the winning products are worth all their pennies.

Delphine was talking to Gorkana’s Richard O’Donnell