Ask anyone what they’ve been doing to keep busy these past months, and chances are they’ll mention they’ve been reading. Newspapers to stay up-to-date on global events as they’ve unfolded, books from their bucket list, and magazines to explore new hobbies or to rediscover old ones. And, while we’ve continued to stay home to #FlattenTheCurve, content creators have been hard at work inventing creative ways to keep content flowing. But how exactly have they done it? How have publishers pivoted their content to respond to our current situation? How have global publishers and their teams kept content creation going during a time of physical distancing?
Our chat with Dish Magazine
In a new discovery series called PressReader Covers we sit down (virtually) with our publishing partners to talk about content creation and how they’ve kept up with demand during physical distancing. We recently had the chance to chat with the Sarah Tuck, the incredibly talented Editor of Dish Magazine. Sarah gave us a firsthand look into the challenges, and might we stay, ingenuity to creating content at home while physically distancing from her production team. Not only did Sarah cook many of the mouth-watering meals featured on Dish, but she photographed and edited the shots at home, all on her own.
You’ve got to see it to believe it. Have a watch to see Sarah in action and hear how her team is coping with social distancing, content creation, and reaching audiences while delivering content from afar. Give Dish Magazine a read or follow them, like we do, for some amazing foodspiration on their social channels.
Spoiler! In the next edition of our series, we sit down with Porthole Cruise Magazine. We’ll learn just how they’re adapting to the situation, what they’re seeing in the cruise industry, and what they see as the next steps to content distribution and reaching audiences in our new normal.
Lights, camera, FaceTime?
Can you say creative? It’s been impressive to see how content creators have navigated the new landscape of physical distancing, yet are still churning out amazing visuals and content. With photographers unable to reach shoots, we’ve seen the rise of FaceTime fashion shoots and live-in partners as stand-in cover models. We’ve also seen the rise of well-known stars like Naomi Campbell taking their own self-portraits to send in to publishers, or in the case of Drew Barrymore — it was her talented 7-year-old daughter who snapped her photoshoot. While not ideal, publishers have had to come up with some creative solutions until life looks a little more normal.
Fast moves to digital
We’ve started to see the first impact the disruption COVID-19 has had on content creation, particularly within lifestyle publications. While many magazine publishers have content planned several months ahead, many took the opportunity to address the current situation by updating their cover images and editorial — and some spoke volumes. In April, when the The New York Times sat down with Laura Brown, Editor of Instyle Magazine, she noted it’s essential to respond to your audience — that’s why InStyle didn’t want to wait months until featuring the virus in their print edition, so the publication opted to release digitally. We’ve seen the same push at PressReader, and together with our publishers we’ve worked to digitize publications to diversify content reach for audiences - through PressReader, and through our Branded Editions solution.
How PressReader is supporting publishers
At PressReader, our mission from day one has been to help people discover the stories that matter most to them, while building a profitable future for quality content. Period. It’s why we put our publishing partners at the center of everything we do, even in times of crisis. It’s why we created #PressReaderCares — because we believe newspapers and magazines are an essential service. Whether to access daily news updates from around the world or to relax while staying indoors, we’re helping publishers reach their audiences, wherever they are. Want to learn more about how we’re supporting publishers — read more.
