27th July 2017
Judges tell all: Alice Audley
At this year’s Shine Awards, Alice Audley, the editor-in-chief of Blogosphere magazine (and one of our judges), gave our keynote address.
In addition, Alice generously wrote us an inspiring piece which was published in our Winners Book. We loved what Alice wrote and feel it deserves a wider audience, so we reproduce it here.
- ‘Print is dead’ ‘Journalism is over’
- ‘You want to be a writer?’
- *raises eyebrows*
- ‘Good luck’
These are just some of the lines that have been fed to me over the years. And, if you’re pursuing a career in this sector, will undoubtedly be thrown at you at some point, too.If I had listened to the aforementioned, I wouldn’t have pursued (and got) my job at The Daily Telegraph or subsequently set up my multi-media company Blogosphere, which – shock horror – centres around a print publication!
Whilst it’s undeniable that the publishing landscape is changing, rather than absorb the repetitive clichés about how ill-fated the industry is, instead see it as an opportunity.
Yes, in the past decade we’ve seen print titles close and online magazines start. We’ve seen the birth of the listicle (‘33 things we love about Kate Middleton on her 33rd birthday’ – ashamedly one of my own), and we’ve seen an unhealthy amount of viral videos about cats.
But, whereas a decade ago people were excited about all the information they could access with the click of a button, people are now increasingly feeling overwhelmed by it. And this is an opportunity.
People are circling back to quality journalism again – both online and in print (we’re actually seeing a rise in print titles launching). They want trusted voices and well-researched features.
They want beautiful photography and original illustrations.
People are realising the need for quality journalists again; individuals who can siphon through the overwhelming world of information and tell them, coherently, what really matters.
And that’s where you come in.
Having looked through the entries for this year’s Shine awards, I – along with the fellow judges – were amazed at the quality of your publications.
You all have the skills to make it in this industry. Your talent is clear. You’re the next generation of journalists who can innovate, challenge and rede ne the landscape. You can make it your own because…
Print isn’t dead and journalism isn’t over. And if you want to be a writer, then you should go for it.