Entertainment For Lively Minds
Hypocrisy
Posted by austinplatt on 17 February 2009 - 3:30pm.
Given that an axiom of Word magazine music reviews is to avoid giving music star reviews, is it hypocritical to advertise the free copy of 'The Fireman' given to new Word subscribers with the stars awarded by other music publications? Just asking?
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Why?
It's advertising, Word have no real editorial choice over the content of their adverts.
Nothing to do with them.
Interesting. So you don't
Interesting. So you don't believe Word has any editorial input over the design of the adverts for the magazine itself? Maybe that's true.
Input
The Fireman ad was made in-house. We're obviously hoping that people who might be considering a subscription to the magazine will be nudged further in that direction by the offer CD, and a series of star ratings can help with this.
Sometimes these ads use quotes from reviews, sometimes they feature stars. Whatever works best, graphically speaking, informs the choice.
Ads in the magazine for the magazine are put together (text and design) by the editorial/design team, just like the rest of the editorial content.
Devils advocate
But surely you wouldn't want to attract the kind of reader that pays attention to the over simplistic star rating system for music?
Anyway, don't want to labour the point. Just though it was an amusing inconsistency
The realities of publishing…
I don't think there are many magazines that can afford to be too choosy about the kind of reader they attract. But if the only concession to commercial necessity is a few star ratings in a house ad, it's hardly worth carping about.
I wonder
But how far does it go? Will we be seeing star ratings creaping into the review section of the magazine. Is it worth compromising the high journalistic ideals of Word magazine just to attarc a few Q Magazine readers.......
I'd say so
More subscribers mean the magazine can thrive. You can't get snobby about whether they're Q readers or Razzle readers
That's disgusting
Word readers surely wouldn't stoop so low as to read Q?
I'm a real whore
I read all four - Q, Uncut, Mojo and Word - but Q is like self harming. I find it distasteful, it annoys me but I can't help reading it, largely because it's a music magaziner and that's usually enough.
Similarly I'll read copies of NME, Kerrang, Metal Hammer, Classic Rock, Clash if they're lying around (although I won't pay for them). I can't read enough of the buggers.
Word is best though
Oh lord you remind me of myself 20 years ago....
I read every music magazine I could lay my hands on. Even technical magazines given away free in musical instrument shops. I will say one thing, Chimney... don't worry, this phase will pass! ;)
Well...
...it's been going on for about fifteen years so far and shows no signs of slowing down.
ah ha!
So you're the blighter who took my preferred login ID. It doesn't happen often when you're called Austin.
Yeah baby!
(are you as sick of that as I am?)