Friday, April 27, 2012

Vis-a-Vis for Free (Forever)

Post contributed by Clara Reed -


Traditionally, magazines have been printed and sold on the stands at grocery stores, bookstores and street corners. With the emergence of the digital age, the magazine industry is looking to revamp their style and translate formats for the tablet.
  While many magazines contemplate how to do this, some start-ups have jumped int the mobile tablet market.  One example is Vis à Vis, a digital, interactive magazine from Spain. They designed the magazine with the iPad in mind, and now seven journalists work together in a small office to bring this magazine to life.
"Journalism is going through a phase in which either you undertake your own idea or you have to conform to the reality of market," said Laura Blanco, the magazine's editor in chief.
The name Vis à Vis means “face to face,” and the content of the magazine contains just that; face to face interviews of prominent figures in television, sports, fashion and gastronomy.
  With this venture, Vis à Vis looks to “reinvent” magazine journalism, using the features and capabilities of the digital tablet form.  And perhaps providing some lessons for other magazines as they seek to “digitalize.” The Vis à Vis team hasn't stopped there - they use social networks for getting word out about their magazine, and them credit for helping to quickly build an audience. They are working on the third edition, in which “the team has already secured the first advertisements that will finance the project.”
From the audience perspective, interest is fueled by their motto of “Free Forever,” meaning that it’s free of charge to online readers.


Source: Spain’s iPad Mag, Vis a Vis, Shows Growth, Points to New Path, PBS MediaShift blog

BJB - edited for style

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