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Editorial comment

There are few words as synonymous with media integrity as the two of Ita and Buttrose. Last night at an exclusive event at Leo Burnetts Ms Buttrose said that the ONLY thing that drove magazine success (and the modern variations thereof) was content.

Curly questions of editorial versus advertising ethics, publishers bottom lines and competing platforms were defiantly brushed aside with the elegant surety only our Ita has the authority to do.
Content is the ONLY thing that sells magazines, she said. Absolutely nothing else – not screaming cover lines or promotions. Get the content right and it will sell.

I know, as a journalist, editor and mother who grew up in the (ahem) 1970s, that Ita Buttrose is not only an individual who shaped Australian society in many remarkable ways, particularly for women, but has a unique take on advertising and its power to inform society. Think the Grim Reaper AIDS awareness campaign – one she spearheaded with the then 21 year old creative Siimon Reynolds.

For those who didnt catch Paper Giants (The Birth of Cleo Magazine) on the ABC recently, any of the ten books she has authored will give you an insight into her remarkable take on the media and its power.

She was the person who inspired me as a child to be a journalist. It was not only a professional and personal privilege to hear and meet her but her comments were essential and inspiring in terms of Australian Creative and our ongoing commitment to refining and improving our magazine.

Our readers will no doubt have noticed our evolving content in the print edition, Global View, Soundscape, The Artists Way and The Round Table. New sections on client creativity and a regular digital art column will launch in the new year. We also hope to inspire content providers and sponsors alike with a fresh take on the magazine themes. Together with our regular industry reports on Production, the Power 20, Hotshop Awards and the Annual Showcase in 2012 we are introducing underlying themes to flavour each issue based on the emotional drivers of advertising – Bravery, Pride, Fear, Desire, the Cool and the Sublime. We will continue to dig deeper into what drives the creative process – what drives advertising that works and why.

More than ever we seek your feedback on the content as we morph into what we hope is an increasingly relevant, informative and inspiring resource for the creative industry. This week we want to know what you want to see and read about the MOST in Australian Creative – both in print and online.

As for the words of wisdom from Ms Buttrose we will post a full length interview on her talk online later this week.
I knew I wanted to be a journalist when I was 11, she said. All the good things in my life have happened because of it.
It is a sentiment I share with the only addition being this extraordinary place we inhabit – this creative industry that shapes our modern culture.

Cheers,
Sonia

Sonia Caeiro – Editor