What a fantastic interview! I also miss print journalism so much. I’m an elder Millennial but grew up in a home where my parents always subscribed to the local newspaper and Newsweek. I used to read them both practically cover to cover (well I did skip sports lol) and I miss that breadth and exposure to new things that you and Tina talk about. I feel inspired to subscribe to a print magazine or paper now!
I must confess that I never ever read sports. I am a total sports dunce (unless it’s about a cultural thing, like racism in football.) I would read the money section (and I mean, SNORE) over sports!
This was brilliant! You're an expert interviewer Pandora and it shows. I love that I now know that Tina Brown did not know was TLDR was until pretty recently!
This was brilliant! SO much fun to read and so interesting - especially because I did not know who Tina Brown was (shame, I'm young, forgive me) but am now obsessed. I, like you, am always deeply anxious about fact checking on Substack. The lack of referencing/citing of sources on here fills me w rage. What do u mean people just come on here and lie?!?! Idk if its just the history/politics degrees in me where you have to cite like you life depends on it, but I don't understand peoples blasé approach to information sharing. I big time think Substack a) need a plagiarism scanner and b) fact checking !!! but it'll never happen.
To paraphrase her, it seems like to be a journalist now is like having to ringmaster a circus lol.
We actually talked about this! (I had to cut it down a lot as it ran to 11,000 words lol.) And she said she thought Substack should provide that service; my thoughts are that it would then make Substack a much more expensive platform for the writers, and that the commission might be 30% say, rather than the current 10%, which *then* makes it unviable for a lot of writers who are already earning a small fraction for their writing. We really went round the metaphorical houses on this one 😂
Oh intrigue she thinks they should too! I'd hadn't thought of the pov from your thoughts but you make a good point - if only there was some sort of magic way for those services to be brought in and for it to NOT affect takeaway money for everyone else. The metaphorical houses are always worth a go around lol
Brava! A few years ago a friend got me the issue of Vanity Fair when I was born. There’s an excellent archive online but there is something fantastic about holding an old magazine. Madonna is on the cover (December 1986) and there’s a hall of fame photo series including the following remarks in the editor’s letter: “The same is true of this year’s gleaming batch. From Meryl Streep to Dr Robert Gale, these are the high performers who, when conviction stirs, are willing to leap without a safety net. Our wild card is the young British actor Daniel Day-Lewis. We’ve decided he has the makings of an Olivier or Gielgud —- and I suggest we meet here in fifty years’ time to see whether or not we got it right”.
The state of magazines, in particular, makes me sad—I love magazines and would've loved to work at one, but when I graduated from a professional writing program a couple of years back, I knew there was no stable future there. Still got the chance to work at a college magazine, so I'm very thankful for that, but I wish the general interest and other niche magazines didn't have an overall bleak future.
This is such a thought-provoking interview. I'm really interested to hear that you don't really have any friends who subscribe to print magazines any more. Although it's been a while since I bought a monthly mag, I'm still religiously subscribed to a handful of chunky bi-annual ones, e.g. The Gentlewoman and Kinfolk. I count down to the next issue being published.
Also thanks for raising the point about the cost of Substack, it's something I've been grappling with lately. I subscribe to 4 or 5, but even at £5/6/7 each per month (a v reasonable price on their own), that soon adds up and I couldn't afford to take up any more, though I'd love to add at least 10 or 20. It worries me how much my reading might be narrowing as a result, sticking to a few, already familiar to me authors.
Journalists have to at least operate as a pair, going solo is too hard…yes and we remember the Watergate pairing so well, even though in the film All the President’s Men the Editor summons them as Woodstein!!! They each needed the other to be able to keep delving and climbing up the murky mountain to discover who was behind what and why( the three questions of a journalistic mind).
I’m not a journalist but an avid reader and Tina Brown fan as well as Pandora Sykes fan. However this article impressed me beyond my expectations for its honesty, compelling analysis and skilled observation and its warmth and accessibility. A truly remarkable piece of writing which quite frankly makes me miss The High Low even more than ever!
Her Substack post today is hilarious and so clever. So refreshing instead of “here’s all the crap I bought this month” which sadly my feed is turning into 😕
Wow, this is one of the realest conversations around the state of journalism that I've ever read - and who better to have it than Tina and yourself! Huge props, will be sharing far and wide.
A great interview Pandora and Tina! I too am “a magazine romantic” and worked as editorial assistant at ACP in the 80s in Sydney. One of the editors was Trevor Sykes.
This is an EXCELLENT read and as a fellow journalist confirmed many things I’ve been thinking about over the past several years. Thank you!
Your generosity in sharing interviews like this is really second to none, Pandora.
Thank you for such an interesting exchange.
Print enthusiasts unite! 🗞️📰
What a kind and galvanizing thing to say. Thank you so much!
You're so very welcome!! X
What a fantastic interview! I also miss print journalism so much. I’m an elder Millennial but grew up in a home where my parents always subscribed to the local newspaper and Newsweek. I used to read them both practically cover to cover (well I did skip sports lol) and I miss that breadth and exposure to new things that you and Tina talk about. I feel inspired to subscribe to a print magazine or paper now!
I must confess that I never ever read sports. I am a total sports dunce (unless it’s about a cultural thing, like racism in football.) I would read the money section (and I mean, SNORE) over sports!
This was brilliant! You're an expert interviewer Pandora and it shows. I love that I now know that Tina Brown did not know was TLDR was until pretty recently!
This was brilliant! SO much fun to read and so interesting - especially because I did not know who Tina Brown was (shame, I'm young, forgive me) but am now obsessed. I, like you, am always deeply anxious about fact checking on Substack. The lack of referencing/citing of sources on here fills me w rage. What do u mean people just come on here and lie?!?! Idk if its just the history/politics degrees in me where you have to cite like you life depends on it, but I don't understand peoples blasé approach to information sharing. I big time think Substack a) need a plagiarism scanner and b) fact checking !!! but it'll never happen.
To paraphrase her, it seems like to be a journalist now is like having to ringmaster a circus lol.
We actually talked about this! (I had to cut it down a lot as it ran to 11,000 words lol.) And she said she thought Substack should provide that service; my thoughts are that it would then make Substack a much more expensive platform for the writers, and that the commission might be 30% say, rather than the current 10%, which *then* makes it unviable for a lot of writers who are already earning a small fraction for their writing. We really went round the metaphorical houses on this one 😂
Oh intrigue she thinks they should too! I'd hadn't thought of the pov from your thoughts but you make a good point - if only there was some sort of magic way for those services to be brought in and for it to NOT affect takeaway money for everyone else. The metaphorical houses are always worth a go around lol
Brava! A few years ago a friend got me the issue of Vanity Fair when I was born. There’s an excellent archive online but there is something fantastic about holding an old magazine. Madonna is on the cover (December 1986) and there’s a hall of fame photo series including the following remarks in the editor’s letter: “The same is true of this year’s gleaming batch. From Meryl Streep to Dr Robert Gale, these are the high performers who, when conviction stirs, are willing to leap without a safety net. Our wild card is the young British actor Daniel Day-Lewis. We’ve decided he has the makings of an Olivier or Gielgud —- and I suggest we meet here in fifty years’ time to see whether or not we got it right”.
I think they did, and then some.
That is the COOLEST present idea. I now want every magazine that came out in March 1987!!!
Throughly enjoyed this!
The state of magazines, in particular, makes me sad—I love magazines and would've loved to work at one, but when I graduated from a professional writing program a couple of years back, I knew there was no stable future there. Still got the chance to work at a college magazine, so I'm very thankful for that, but I wish the general interest and other niche magazines didn't have an overall bleak future.
I cannot tell you how many times I got a quote like ‘stick to your knitting’ back from
Magazine bosses
I bet you have some GREAT anecdotes up your sleeve, Lorraine!
I LOVED this interview and am desperate for someone to help me find the New Yorker issue that was ONE PIECE???
It was by Mark Danner - about El Salvador and El Mozote x
oh you genius! have now linked that in the piece and it's also here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1993/12/06/the-truth-of-el-mozote
This is such a thought-provoking interview. I'm really interested to hear that you don't really have any friends who subscribe to print magazines any more. Although it's been a while since I bought a monthly mag, I'm still religiously subscribed to a handful of chunky bi-annual ones, e.g. The Gentlewoman and Kinfolk. I count down to the next issue being published.
Also thanks for raising the point about the cost of Substack, it's something I've been grappling with lately. I subscribe to 4 or 5, but even at £5/6/7 each per month (a v reasonable price on their own), that soon adds up and I couldn't afford to take up any more, though I'd love to add at least 10 or 20. It worries me how much my reading might be narrowing as a result, sticking to a few, already familiar to me authors.
Journalists have to at least operate as a pair, going solo is too hard…yes and we remember the Watergate pairing so well, even though in the film All the President’s Men the Editor summons them as Woodstein!!! They each needed the other to be able to keep delving and climbing up the murky mountain to discover who was behind what and why( the three questions of a journalistic mind).
I’m not a journalist but an avid reader and Tina Brown fan as well as Pandora Sykes fan. However this article impressed me beyond my expectations for its honesty, compelling analysis and skilled observation and its warmth and accessibility. A truly remarkable piece of writing which quite frankly makes me miss The High Low even more than ever!
Tamsin
Her Substack post today is hilarious and so clever. So refreshing instead of “here’s all the crap I bought this month” which sadly my feed is turning into 😕
Brilliant thanks Pandora!
Wow, this is one of the realest conversations around the state of journalism that I've ever read - and who better to have it than Tina and yourself! Huge props, will be sharing far and wide.
A great interview Pandora and Tina! I too am “a magazine romantic” and worked as editorial assistant at ACP in the 80s in Sydney. One of the editors was Trevor Sykes.