Press Gazette has more details on how many Highbury people survived the transition to Imagine.
SMD’s contact details
In case you want to get in touch with the new owners of Hotdog and DVD World, you can give them a call on 020 7608 6500. The accounts department, however, is at Remnant Media. Tel: 0845 225 9743
Poor old Press Gazette
You’ve got to feel sorry for Press Gazette. A bunch of journalists all subjecting your work to analysis and thinking they could do better? Horrific.
Yet, all the same, you know there’s something wrong when one article on desk lamps gets the headline “Light fanastic” (I don’t think there’s supposed to be a pun in the second word, but let me know if you can spot one), a quote in a house ad on the appointments page gets an attribution twice and, on the same page, this collection of little beauties slips through in 18 point:
Journlsim Training supplement FREE in next weeks issue.
Featuring Jon Snow, Adrian Monck and Vin Ray. Includs information on how to choose the right course, surviving your first year and ‘Tips of the Trade’.
Let he who is without error cast the first stone.
All of Imagine’s new contact details
In case you don’t get Gorkana’s media alert, today’s mailshot contained all the contact details of the ex-Highbury mags that Imagine is going to continue publishing. For the edification of freelances everywhere, I’ve listed them below. However, I’ve noticed that some of the names repeat, so either Imagine have some multi-tasking editorial staff, or there’ll be one of those Gorkanna correction emails coming out tomorrow. I’ll update the entry whenever that happens.
UPDATE: There’s a PDF press release detailing all the Imagine titles and teams on the company’s site. I’ve updated the Gorkana information where possible.
Advanced Photoshop (updated)
Aimed at Photoshop professionals, each issue of Advanced Photoshop has inspirational interviews, tutorials and professional tips.
Contact: Deborah Allen, Editor
Emma Cake
Digital Camera Buyer
Digital Camera Buyer is a monthly magazine covering news and reviews of the latest digital cameras.
Contact: Chris Lean, Editor
Rosie Tanner, Senior Staff Writer
Digital Photographer
Digital Photographer focuses on the complete needs of digital camera users, whether they are professionals or enthusiasts. Each issue brings the reader cutting-edge imagery, practical shooting advice, interviews with professionals plus news and reviews of brand new equipment. NOTE: This isn’t listed in the Imagine press release, although there is a web site for it.
Contact: Kirsty Eaglesham, Features Editor
Games TM
Games TM is a gaming magazine about past, present and future gaming products. It features the latest news, reviews and previews appealing to both the serious and casual gamer.
Contact: Paul Morgan, Editor, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 257
Rick Porter, Features Editor, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 200
John Denton, Senior Staff Writer, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 239
iCreate
iCreate is a creative computing magazine for Apple computer users. Editorial focuses on Mac software and hardware.
Contact: Ben Harvell – Editor
Natalie Johnson, Senior Staff Writer
PDA Essentials
PDA Essentials magazine is for dedicated users of PDAs, and covers the very latest news and reviews in hardware developments plus new software and tutorials
Contact: Andy Betts, Deputy Editor
Play
As the longest running PlayStation magazine, Play features authoritative reviews, the very latest in news and the best cover exclusives.
Contact: Nick Jones, Editor in Chief, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 211
Aaron Asadi, News Editor, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 211
Luke Smith, Sub Editor, tel: +44 (0)1202 586 211
PowerStation
Merging the very best of PlayStation and Cheat magazines, PowerStation is packed with detailed guides to the latest PS2 and PSP releases, and all the latest cheats. This magazine is a solutions magazine for keen PlayStation gamers.
Contact: Ryan Butt, Editor
Henry Rowlatt, Senior Staff Writer
Web Designer
Web Designer is the UK’s premier publication for the online author. The magazine has a tutorial-based format for learning, whilst also providing the reader with the latest industry news and feature topics.
Contact: Mark Billen, Deputy Editor
Mark was previously the Deputy Editor of Web Developer. There is no editor at present.
Windows XP Made Easy
Windows XP Made Easy is a magazine for the home PC user and covers news, reviews and tutorials on Windows XP and Windows based products.
Contact: Stuart Tarrant, Editor
Steve Jenkins, Reviews Editor
Matt Powell, Technical Editor
X360
X360, the essential magazine for enthusiastic Xbox 360 gamers, is dedicated to giving honest opinions and detailed coverage of the best and most exclusive games on the market.
Contact: Martin Mathers, Editor
Martin previously edited Games TM.
Get to know the SMD Publishing ad team
Media Week is running a Q&A piece with the SMD Publishing ad team. If you want to find out what the new owners of Hotdog, DVD World, et al are like, the article seems a reasonable place to start.
Doug Coupland makes some good points about interviewing
Doug Coupland, author of Generation X and Microserfs, decided to interview Morrissey. Although the interview isn’t fantastic, descending as it does into Coupland’s usual broken style, he does make some interesting and valid points about interviews and interviewing in the age of Google. Worth a look.
Chomsky’s theory of language acquisition gets another beating
“They’ve no myths, numbers or colours and few words for past or present – no wonder the Pirahã people defy our most cherished ideas about language”. It’s another cracking article in New Scientist about language that seems to suggest Whorfian ideas of culture affecting language might be more accurate than Chomsky’s universal grammar. Give it a read if you have a mo.
Handy resources for journalists
In case you haven’t paid them a visit yet (and most of them are US sites so why should you have?), here’s a few handy bookmarks for your browser:
- Journalism.org – Plenty of resources from the Project for Excellence in Journalism
- Journalismnet – A weekly mailing of resources for journalists
- How to find original documents on the web – The clue is in the title
- Gorkana – A daily email telling you who’s just got what job at which magazine
Irish theme pubs explained
On St Patrick’s Day, it’s nice to see this article from Slate looking into the worldwide reach of faux-Irish pubs. Think Ireland: think pubs. That’s a good, non-stereotypical message, isn’t it?
Vanquis bank rears its head again
Long-time readers will remember my trials and tribulations with First Direct and some slightly dodgy payments from my bank account to a Vanquis Bank credit card (APR 58%) just before Christmas. Just to update you happy few on what happened, First Direct refunded my account both transactions and gave me a new Switch card, which seemed to solve the problem. Which was nice. They never actually told me what happened as a result of their investigations, but there you go.
Interestingly – and whether it was because of the change of card or some artfulness on the part of these particular dodgers, I don’t know – there was no third transaction that would have triggered a deeper investigation by the First Direct frauds department. That might have yielded more information, so I’m assuming two dodgy transactions wasn’t enough to go on or worth the effort.
Nevertheless, it seems to be the tip of a financial iceberg. I just received this email from another worried First Direct customer (name withheld to protect the innocent, of course):
I have just read your article about being a First Direct customer and Vanquis Bank Chatham taking £250 twice from your bank account. I am very worried now because exactly the same thing has happened to me today. Vanquis Bank has taken £203 from my bank account and like you the First Direct Disputes Department say they will investigate the transaction because I didn’t authorise it.
So that’s two First Direct customers undergoing the same scam c/o Vanquis credit card customers. Tip of the iceberg or coincidence? Enquiring minds want to know.