MA Magazine Journalism students were introduced to the shape and history of global news magazines by veteran American journalist Robert Beers.

Mr Beers has earned an enviable reputation and formidable experience in a range of news and media based positions. He has worked for The Guardian, BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service and CBS News and it is a credit to the department that UCLan has secured his tuition.

For the past two years Robert has been tutoring postgraduate programmes in UCLan’s Journalism Department, in addition to hosting sessions such as this.

The news magazine, said Mr Beers, follows on from the online and broadcast news we consume daily, making it clear the responsibility these publications have to inform the public in a well-balanced and accurate manner. He explained how from this a reader-publisher relationship develops.

News magazine successes

He gave three key examples of news magazine successes: Time, Newsweek and The Economist. What followed was a talk that clearly outlined the qualities, patience and determination required to work within news magazines, and print media as a whole.

Robert explained Briton Hadden and Henry Luce’s inception of Time magazine in 1923 was due to an increased ability to distribute national news, weekly. Quoting Henry Luce, he outlined the problem with the Time ethos: “Luce admitted ‘I am a Presbyterian, a capitalist, and a Republican’”, this being symbolised in pro-Republican reporting by Time. “This gave birth to Newsweek,” he added.

Clear in his explanation of Newsweek’s ethos, its house style of a more democratic nature in contrast to that of Time, Mr Beers also explained that both magazines have previously been accused of un-balanced writing in favour of their respective political wings.

He described how The Economist’s news reporting is held in high regard due to its free-trade ethics. No stakeholder holds more than a 50% share, its editor is elected, and it has a policy of updating its publication mid-press. In this environment Mr Beers explained, balanced news reporting has a greater chance of survival.

“Who owns the news?” Robert asked in his explanation of the ‘gatekeeper theory’- those who choose the news. The obstructions and challenges a writer can face in an attempt to report honestly were made clear: at once the law of the jungle, and a challenge to those determined to deliver the truth.

The explanation of the role of news magazines provided inspiration to anyone entering into the profession with an understanding of the moral obligation of the job. “They put content into context,” Mr Beers stated. This surely is journalism at its most fundamental.

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MA Magazine Journalism
Time Magazine
The Economist
Newsweek

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