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Web editors 'not commercial enough', say magazine industry's digital heads

Posted: 06/05/08 By: Laura Oliver
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Online editorial staff at magazine titles need to be more commercially focused, a panel of digital heads from three UK magazine publishers said today.

Paul Way, digital business director for CMPi, Jim Muttram, a managing director of Reed Business Information (RBI), and John Barnes, head of digital for Incisive Media, who addressed delegates at the PPA's annual conference, said the role of the web editor must become more commercially aware to ensure the success of their website.

Way said 'ownership' of a title's website has traditionally gone to the online editor of the magazine, despite this being a primarily editorial role.

"They [online editors] determine how things are presented, they make decisions as to how things are put on the page and yet these are decisions that have revenue implications," he said.

Speaking about the initial setup of digital staff at RBI's titles, Muttram said web editors had been responsible for overseeing editorial and production operations online.

This position now requires an increased commercial focus, he said, and will soon change into the role of a publisher.

Barnes agreed, citing a recent example of an Incisive website, whose redesign included offering content for free that was behind a pay wall on a sister site.

"This is a classic web problem: rather than having an internet business which generates revenue, you also have an internet business which has a responsibility to other revenue streams within that company. You want to not cannabalise, but enhance ad revenue by providing new services," he added.

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