Time evolves to keep pace with changes

Time Asia is moving to strengthen its editorial product in an attempt to keep pace with the changing needs and tastes of its readers, particularly amid a changing mindset resulting from the advent of the Internet age. This isn't a relaunch and neither is it a makeover, although the changes are the biggest since a dedicated Asian edition was rolled out for the first time in 1996. It's more a bid to beef up the content and style, be opinionated and a tad more controversial. "We don't want to reinvent Time, especially because we have done so well in past years and because this has been a sensational year for the magazine, both editorially and financially," said Mr Adi Ignatius, the publication's new editor who took over following the departure of Don Morrison, now at Time London. He told MEDIA that the changes, which will come into effect from January, were aimed at injecting some attitude into the magazine. "Time checks facts closely, edits closely. There's a reliability to Time and we don't want to lose that. But the risk is that we are too safe. We're doing too much for the record. "We can fit our week into a template. That in itself is interesting anyway because the world is interesting but discerning readers want more than that," Mr Ignatius said. He added that the strategy of the future was not to just report on the news but to also anticipate tomorrow's questions. Time - the largest regional publication with a circulation of more than 315,000 per issue, according to ABC - is also moving to be personality-driven and more interactive. It's a move inspired by its website timeasia.com, whose success in the marketplace was described as surprising. "We know that people like Time; they renew their subscription and they write letters to the editor. Online is different. People respond immediately and we're not used to that but that is the reality of now and that appears to be the way of the future. "The website has given us a little more room to be controversial, opinionated and even funny. Part of our goal now is to capture that energy and bring it into the magazine," Mr Ignatius said. To move towards its goals, Time will relaunch the front news section of the magazine in January with a new look and a new attitude. "We want to make it more fun, edgier, and to play up the news in creative and surprising ways. It's kind of establishing our identity and we want to send across the message that we are hipper, edgier and funny but no less reliable and we hope that attitude infects the rest of the magazine," Mr Ignatius said. Some of the changes include a "person of the week" section, an extension of its "person of the year" specials. There will also be more coverage on lifestyle and health issues in Asia. In addition, Time is also creating an editorial team of four people, which will focus on technology with coverage in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Singapore and Bangalore. This is on top of other plans to hire more writers and editors, including a Southeast Asia business correspondent, a roving features writer and staffing for Time's first South Korea bureau. There will also be a greater emphasis on a greater integration of news not only between Time and its website, but also with its news affiliate CNN.

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