with Janine Adamson
Prior to Christmas, I yet again found myself in a heated discussion regarding the merits of this vessel – the humble printed magazine. I did my best to articulate the benefits of our beloved tome, but it seems some ‘youngsters’ are not on board, neither are they happy to accept a difference in opinion.
What struck me was two-fold – firstly, that to strengthen their own argument (that print was decrepit and digital is the only way forward), they had to slate me, the opposition. According to this individual, ‘advertising’ in such an old crone of a product is a complete waste of time, given farmers conduct all business online.
Aside from the fact that CPM doesn’t have advertisers in the traditional sense – we have supporters and sponsors – how can investing in the this magazine’s existence be a waste? We’re here to serve the industry, so much so, rather than an editor, I consider myself a mere facilitator of other people’s expertise. I may steer the ship, but you lot (our readers and contributors) are the engine pumping away.
It makes me cringe when I hear individuals slag off their competition. Rightly or wrongly, I don’t read alternative farming publications – print or digital – never mind take a moment to critique their business. I’m content letting them hold their own space while I peacefully inhabit mine. In fact, when deserving, I’ll go as far as to congratulate my publishing peers on a job well done, I’m that confident in my position.
My primary concern is delivering a magazine that’s worthy of our audience, instigates meaningful conversations, and perhaps occasionally, makes a difference. For us, print and digital work hand-in-glove, striving to serve all preferences and modes of digestion. I personally love holding a physical mag or newspaper, the archaic stegosaurus that I am.
Because let’s not forget that CPM readers want a printed copy to land on their doormat each month. Whenever we ask you, you confirm that’s the case. So here we are, confidently striding to the print presses each month, with a cheeky middle finger up to the naysayers (for now…I can’t promise this will forever be the case…).
The second thought that occurred to me during this debate was that the person I was having it with really went for my jugular – was that necessary? To me, that weakens the case further. If you cannot have an polite, two-way, adult conversation, then don’t instigate the barney in the first place. There really is no need to be rude, just to try and force a win.
The oppressed female inside me would assume that his approach was because I’m of the ‘fairer’ sex. But really, I think it says more about that man in particular, than anything about me. Perhaps he’d found a stray dog hair in his marmalade toast that morning, taken a shower only to find the towel rail devoid, or stepped on an errant brick of Lego while barefoot.
I believe the most powerful communication is undertaken with a quiet, steady confidence. The type that indicates a person knows their onions and has really thought about the discussion at hand. Plus, it don’t cost owt to be pleasant, does it?
In this particular case, I gave up conversing as it was fruitless, and left him to wallow in his supposed victory. At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter to me what others spout, as long as the consensus agrees that CPM should continue as a printed magazine.
Of course, if I’m barking up the wrong tree, do let me know.
This article was taken from the latest issue of CPM. Read the article in full here.
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