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.
