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Mr. Magazine, of University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media, offers industry insights

Posted on: January 8th, 2021 by ldrucker

Samir Husni, Ph.D., also known as Mr. Magazine ™, has been called the leading authority on magazines. He has been very busy the last few months participating in interviews and writing articles about the magazine industry.

As the founder and director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media, the professor and Hederman Lecturer’s work and insights have appeared on websites like Poynter, Editor & Publisher, Forbes and in the New York Post.

Below is a collection of some of those recent articles.

Samir Husni

Samir Husni, photographed by Robert Jordan for University Communications.

BoSacks Speaks Out: Disputing the Death of Journalism

Husni is featured in this article.

Samir Husni’s presentation at Augusta University

Husni discusses freedom of the press and the role the audience plays in it.

Marc Benioff’s Time magazine gets cease-and-desist

Print magazines may be a struggling business, but a recent cease-and-desist aimed at Time magazine suggests the business of churning out high-priced special issues, or “bookazines,” is still hot. Read this article that features Dr. Samir Husni.

Opinion: In a digital world, magazine covers still carry tremendous weight

Opinion: In a digital world, magazine covers still carry tremendous weight

Media Voices Podcast: Mr. Magazine Samir Husni on why magazines are new media

This week, Dr. Samir Husni, founder and director of the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi’s School of Journalism and New Media, tells us why magazines are the ultimate new media. He explains the wild ride that was magazine publishing in 2020, his print evangelism, the benefits that digital brings and his favorite magazine. Oh, and why he’s called ‘Mr. Magazine’.

Listen to the podcast.

Poynter: Magazine covers in 2020 have featured Black subjects three times more than the previous 90 years

Today, a first-time visitor to a newsstand would see something long-sought: a mainstreaming of Black people into American life.

In the 90 days following the death of George Floyd, while in the custody of Minneapolis police, mainstream magazines celebrated Blackness on their covers about three times more than in the previous 90 years combined. Husni collaborated with other UM faculty – Mark K. Dolan, Ph.D., Marquita Smith, Ed.D. and Charlie Mitchell – on this article.

Magazine covers in 2020 have featured Black subjects three times more than the previous 90 years

Against the Grain: Are Print Magazines Still Relevant?

ATG Asks the Expert: Mr. Magazine-An ATG Original

Oprah Winfrey: recently announced a shift in her media kingdom with what publishing partner, Hearst, called a “rethinking the future of the magazine’s print editions and following a more digital-focused route following its December 2020 issue.” Hearst representatives went on to call this “a natural next step for the brand, which has grown to an online audience of 8 million, extending its voice and vision with video and social content. We will continue to invest in this platform as the brand grows and evolves into one that is more digitally centric.”

Husni is interviewed in this article.

Are Print Magazines Still Relevant? ATG Asks the Expert: Mr. Magazine-An ATG Original

Podcasts from the Printverse: Journalism, Justice and Publishing in a Pandemic with Mr. Magazine

In this podcast, Husni talks about the role of a journalist amidst a social revolution, and why the audience – not the platform – should remain the focal point of all media companies.

Journalism, Justice and Publishing in a Pandemic with Mr. Magazine

Editor & Publisher: Publishing During A Pandemic

Husni is “the country’s leading magazine expert,” according to Forbes magazine; “the nation’s leading authority on new magazines,” according to min:media industry newsletter; “a world-renowned expert on print journalism” according to CBS News Sunday Morning; and The Chicago Tribune dubbed him “the planet’s leading expert on new magazines.” It’s no wonder he is better known in the industry as Mr. Magazine. Read the article about publishing during a pandemic.

Poynter: Is the increase in Black representation in magazines hypocrisy or a genuine change?

And why do some magazine editors and public relations directors not want to talk about the sea change that has taken place in the industry?

“Blackness exploded on the covers of magazines during the middle months of 2020. But is it hypocrisy? A performative act so that those magazines can profit from the pain of Black people, as one editor told me? Or is it a genuine change, as I heard from another?” Read Husni’s article below.

New York Post: Despite pandemic, 60 new print magazines launched in 2020

The number of new print magazines launched in the U.S. dropped by more than half in 2020 to 60, compared to 139 a year earlier. But in a surprise move, the pace of new launches accelerated in the second half of the year with food, home and fitness titles proving the most popular. Husni is interviewed in this story.

Forbes: Stop Saying Print Journalism Is Dead

60 Magazines Launched During This Crazy Year

It’s long been axiomatic among people who care about the news business that print is on the way out. That digital opportunities are where resources and investment need to be steered, and that the anachronistic, fusty pages of alt-weeklies, newspapers, and magazines should not operate in competition with the digital side of their respective businesses. If anything, the era of President Trump has only accelerated the throbbing pulse of the news business that already kept us all — journos and readers alike — hopelessly tethered to the digital grid. Husni’s work was reviewed for this article.

An interview with Bloomberg Quicktake

Can magazines compete in a digital world, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic? Samir Husni, also known as Mr. Magazine, discusses how magazines offer a unique experience for the consumer.

Mr. Magazine’s blog

You can read more posts about the magazine industry at Mr. Magazine’s blog.

People en Español: The Most Trusted Voice In Hispanic Culture Approaches Its 25th Anniversary As It Continues To Thrive Even During A Pandemic – The Mr. Magazine™ Interview With Monique Manso, Publisher & Armando Correa, Editor In Chief…

Magazine Innovation Center’s ACT 9 Experience all about the students

Posted on: April 17th, 2019 by ldrucker

Annual conference draws all-star list of industry leaders to UM

A who’s who of the international magazine industry will be at the University of Mississippi  from April 23 to 25, but it won’t be the movers and shakers of publishing who will be in the spotlight.

The real stars of the show, according to ACT 9 Experience founder and coordinator Samir Husni, Ph.D., are the Ole Miss students.

“There are a whole bunch of magazine conferences, but, to me, what makes this conference unique is the presence of the students,” said Husni, a UM journalism professor, Hederman Lecturer and director of the Magazine Innovation Center. “This conference brings together current industry leaders and the future industry leaders.”

More than 30 speakers from the highest ranks of magazine publishing will be on campus, and Husni places a priority on having students in the university’s magazine publishing and management specialization interact with those professionals.

“I assign students to shadow the speakers; they actually will pick them up from the airport,” Husni said. “I want that interaction. I want the students to have enough time to spend time with these leaders of the magazine industry.”

For junior Sarah Smith, the ACT 9 Experience serves as a chance to further her knowledge of the industry in which she wants to work, but also to meet people who will prove to be invaluable for her future career.

“This is the only opportunity I know of that you’re going to get a taste of worldwide magazine making anywhere near here,” said Smith, a journalism major from Mount Pleasant. “I expect to gain a lot of information about the next few years of magazine making.

“For media students, this is an unparalleled event where we can meet and mingle with industry leaders. This is a great chance to secure a summer internship or even a job after college.”

The ACT Experience, which stands for “amplify, clarify and testify,” is hosted by the Magazine Innovation Center at the School of Journalism and New Media. The event began in 2010 and has more than doubled in size in nine years.

The university has created a name for itself as a higher education hub for magazine publishing, and the ACT 9 Experience is the highlight of that achievement, Husni said.

“We have people from all over the world coming to this conference, coming to Ole Miss,” he said. “That’s why I tell people, when they say, ‘You need to have something like this in New York or you need to do something like this here or there,’ I’m like, ‘No, the ACT Experience is Ole Miss and Ole Miss is the ACT Experience.’”

The theme of this year’s ACT 9 Experience is “print smart, digital proud,” which Husni said emphasizes the ever-changing landscape of print publications.

“I want to focus on the integration between print and digital, that we are no longer an either/or industry,” he said.

Among the speakers for this year’s event are Linda Thomas Brooks, president and CEO of MPA: The Association of Magazine Media; James Hewes, president and CEO of FIPP, the network for global media; Michael Marchesano, managing director of Connectiv, a leading business-to-business magazine media network; and Jerry Lynch, president of the Magazine and Books at Retail Association.

Husni will moderate a discussion featuring these industry leaders.

“We will talk about some of the challenges facing the entire magazine and media industry locally and worldwide,” Husni said. “It should be fun to have those CEOs at the same place on the same campus in front of future industry leaders.”

The diversity and depth of the speakers makes the event unique, Smith said.

“Dr. Husni is a genius when it comes to magazines, and he puts his heart and soul into this event,” she said. “I think that the fact someone as successful and well-known as him puts his heart in it, always creates something genuine and fresh that you can’t get anywhere else.”

All lectures at the Overby Center are open to the public.

Activities begin Tuesday (April 23), with an opening gala for registered participants, featuring welcoming remarks by UM Provost Noel Wilkin and keynote speaker Stephen Orr, editor in chief of Better Homes and Gardens.

Speakers will continue all day Wednesday and Thursday, and Thursday’s events for paid participants feature a bus trip and tour of the Mississippi Delta. The Overby Center for the Study of Southern Journalism and Politics will host the majority of speakers, and a full list of speakers can be found online.

Registration for the event includes all meals, sessions and transportation to and from the Delta. The Inn at Ole Miss is also offering special rates to ACT 9 attendees.

This story was written by Justin Whitmore of University Communications. If you are a prospective student who is interested in learning more about our undergraduate or graduate programs in journalism or IMC, email jour-imc@olemiss.edu.

 

UM journalism professor will be keynote speaker for AAIND newspaper conference

Posted on: February 21st, 2019 by ldrucker

Our own “Mr. Magazine,” Samir Husni, Ph.D., will be the keynote speaker for the American Association of Newspaper Distributors conference in New York City in May.

The group announced this week that Husni is part of their superstar lineup for the conference set for May 1-3 at the Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York City.

“Dr. Husni is passionate about print publications and will give us his viewpoint on the future of the print media industry,” the AAIND website reads.

You can read the full article here.

Industry site shares story of Dr. Samir Husni’s Luminaire Award

Posted on: October 23rd, 2018 by ldrucker

School of Journalism and New Media professor Samir Husni, Ph.D., is the latest recipient of The Luminaire Award. Husni, the director of the Magazine Innovation Center and a professor and Hederman Lecturer, recently received the honor in New York City.

The award has been described as the “Hall of Fame” for the graphic and visual communications industries.

Watch the video of Samir “Mr. Magazine™” Husni, Ph.D., accepting The Luminaire Award for Best in Communications at the Franklin Luminaire Awards: A celebration of achievement in graphic and visual communications. Click here if the video below is not visible.

From left, Samir Husni, Ph.D., accepts his 2018 Luminaire Award from Bob Sacks, a.k.a. BoSacks, Precision Media Group. Picture from the Printing Impressions website: https://www.piworld.com/article/landa-husni-four-other-notables-honored-at-2018-franklin-luminaire-awards-event/

The award was presented by the Idealliance Foundation and the Printing Industries Alliance at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York City Oct. 17.

The Printing Impressions website recently wrote a story about the winners. Writer Patrick Henry described the awards as the “Academy Awards of the printing industry.”

Henry writes: “The fourth Luminaire honoree, Samir Husni, Ph.D., is well known to many in the publishing world as ‘Mr. Magazine.’ Bob Sacks, president and publisher, Precision Media Group, welcomed him ‘to the ranks of print’s greats’ and called him a ‘titan’ of the medium because of a lifetime spent evangelizing it.

“He is, Sacks said, the originator of the concept of doctoral studies in magazines,” Henry wrote. “Husni recalled ‘falling in love with the smell of ink on paper’ as a boy in his native Lebanon, where he hand-crafted his own publications and started collecting what is today a 30,000-copy library of magazine first editions. He said that upon emigrating to the U.S. in 1978, ‘My hobby became my education and my profession.'”

You can read the full article by clicking this link.

‘Mr. Magazine™’ Samir Husni named as one of four 2018 Franklin Luminaire Award winners

Posted on: May 3rd, 2018 by ldrucker

Idealliance and Printing Industries Alliance have announced that the Meek School’s own Dr. Samir Husni -“Mr. Magazine™” – has been named one of four winners of the 2018 Franklin Luminaire Awards.

Husni, of the University of Mississippi’s Meek School of Journalism and New Media, Chris Harrold of Mohawk Fine Papers, Rebecca Pappas of BizBash Media, and John G. Sommers, Jr., of Allied Printing Services will be recipients of 2018 Franklin Luminaire Awards.

The awards, which recognize exceptional professionals for their positive contribution and service within the media and graphic communications industry, will be presented at the annual Franklin Luminaire Awards event Oct. 17 at The Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Event sponsorships are available and are offered at early bird rates through July 31.

“The annual Franklin Luminaire Awards event provides an opportunity for professionals from every sector of our industry to come together and recognize the contributions of incredibly talented and dedicated individuals who have proven their commitment to excellence,” said Meghan Milkowski, co-chair of the Franklin Luminaire Committee and vice president of Operations-Print Group at Dow Jones.

Franklin Luminaire Committee Co-Chair Steve Drew, of the Sales Executive-Magazine Group at LSC Communications, said they look forward to honoring the four outstanding industry professionals and expressing their appreciation for their singular contributions to the industry during the awards program.

“Some 400 industry members attend this event each year, a testament to the strength of our industry and the contributions made by our honorees during their careers,” he said.

Samir “Mr. Magazine™” Husni, Ph.D., is the founder and director of the Magazine Innovation Center at The University of Mississippi. He is also professor and Hederman Lecturer at the university’s School of Journalism and New Media.

As Mr. Magazine™, he engages in media consulting and research for the magazine media and publishing industry in the United States and across the globe. Husni has written books and presented seminars on the future of print in a digital age. His latest book, Print Proud Digital Smart: The Book of Quotes, was published in March of this year.

Chris Harrold is vice president and creative director at Mohawk Fine Papers in Cohoes, N.Y., where he has responsibility for brand management, strategic market development, and creative direction for the company’s product and marketing campaigns.

Harrold joined Mohawk in 1990, holding positions from sales to marketing, and played a pivotal role establishing Mohawk as a market leader in digital printing. He is a Lynda.com author and speaks extensively on the role printing and paper play in design.

Harrold holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from the State University of New York Oswego and an MFA degree from the Rochester Institute of Technology College of Imaging Arts & Sciences.

Rebecca Pappas is vice president of production, customer service, and audience development at BizBash Media in New York. She previously served as director of publisher relations at Qmags, where she worked with more than 50 publishers to manage the production, distribution, and marketing strategies of the digital editions of some of the industry’s largest B2B media companies, and as director of circulation and manufacturing for BZ Media, a multi-title publisher in the IT space, where she worked with the newly formed BPA Worldwide’s Digital Task Force to help formulate digital edition audit rules and requirements.

John G. Sommers, Jr., president and CEO of Allied Printing Services, Manchester, Connecticut., grew up in and around his family’s business, working through school vacations to learn the printing industry from the “ground up.” He studied business finance at Stonehill College.

After graduation, he joined the family business earlier than planned because his father, company president and CEO, felt the business needed him to make an immediate impact during the economic recession. He worked in all internal departments at Allied, followed by outside sales, and was named president in 2011, shortly before his father’s untimely passing in 2013. Since that time, Allied has grown significantly and consistently reinvested in new equipment and technology under his leadership.

Idealliance, a global thought leader in the graphic communications industry since 1896, is a non-profit industry organization with 11 strategically located offices around the world. Idealliance serves brands; content and media creators; manufacturers; service providers in mail, marketing, print and packaging; and material suppliers and technology partners worldwide.

University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media magazine students visit Meredith Corp. in Birmingham

Posted on: May 2nd, 2018 by ldrucker

Samir Husni, Ph.D., also known as Mr. Magazine, recently took six University of Mississippi School of Journalism and New Media magazine students with him to visit the Meredith Corp. in Birmingham, publisher of Southern Living, Coastal Living, Cooking Light and Food & Wine.

They spent a day with magazine editors and toured the famous test kitchens.

Sid Evans, editor-in-chief of Southern Living and Coastal Living, and Hunter Lewis, editor-in-chief of Cooking Light and Food & Wine magazines reviewed and commented on the magazine students’ magazine ideas.

The one-day trip ended with an hour and a half meeting with the director of human resources at Meredith in Birmingham, Carole Cain. Hannah Willis was one of the students who attended.

“Throughout the day, we toured their incredible food studios, seeing shoots in progress and talking to food studio professionals,” she said. “People from all parts of the four magazines (Southern Living, Coastal Living, Food & Wine, and Cooking Light) came and talked to us about the day-to-day working of their magazines. It was an incredible opportunity to see the industry up close.”

Willis said she learned a lot.

“Most importantly, I learned that this is a constant job that requires an individual to stay on top of all trends while creating excellent content and navigating the differences between their print and digital platforms,” she said.

Lana Ferguson, editor-in-chief of The Daily Mississippian, the University of Mississippi’s campus newspaper, said students met and interacted with different people in charge of different parts of the magazines and brands.

“We toured the infamous Time Inc. Kitchen Studio and saw the behind-the-scenes making of recipes, videos, and even .gifs,” she said. “And throughout the rest of the day, we met with experts in areas from social media, travel, video, food and more.”

Ferguson, who said she remembers flipping through the pages of Southern Living magazine before she could read, said she was surprised by some of the things she learned during the tour.

“As someone who has interned with a magazine and held editor roles in a newspaper, I thought I had an idea of how these legacy brands were run, but this experience was eye opening,” she said. “I now know some of the intricate details and effort that goes into every page of a magazine, the scheduling of production months in advance, and the developing of digital pieces that supplement the already-established print products.

“A lot of the people we spoke with mentioned ‘the reader is your boss,’ and that reminded me of how I got into journalism to serve people, and most of them did too, so I really appreciated that as well.”

Student Brittany Abbott said she was impressed by many things, including the building.

“We saw the Time Inc. test kitchens that are on the top floor paired with the camera studios for the magazine work,” she said. “We also saw the basic building process from beginning to end for the magazine.”

Abbott said she learned it takes a team to make a successful magazine like Parents or Southern Living.

“Everyone had a very specific job and a time to do that job,” she said. “They worked together so well. It was wonderful. I’m so grateful I got to go.”

School of Journalism and New Media graduate who works at Harper’s Bazaar returns for a visit

Posted on: May 2nd, 2018 by ldrucker

Ignacio Murillo, a 2014 Meek School of Journalism and New Media student, returned to the school to speak to students last week enrolled in the classes of Ann Day Becker and Debbie Hall.

Murillo works for Harper’s Bazaar, America’s first women’s fashion magazine, based in New York City.

According to a 2017 HottyToddy.com article, Murillo was born in Mexico, but moved to Horn Lake, Mississippi when he was 10. He dreamed of moving to New York City after graduating college, but didn’t think that dream would actually come true.

Read the article to learn more about how his dream became a reality.

ACT 8 Experience: Kintzer speaks about recovering a brand and reaching broader audience through digital

Posted on: April 19th, 2018 by ldrucker

The ACT 8 Experience lineup today included a packed schedule of speakers.

Bonnie Kintzer, from Trusted Media Brands, spoke in the first session about recovering the brand from struggle. She returned to Trusted Media Brands, the parent company of Reader’s Digest, Taste of Home, and The Family Handyman after its bankruptcy.

“The key is to be adapting and adopting to the changes in culture and technology,” she said.

When Kintzer arrived at Trusted Media Brands, it had not adapted to these changes and was not getting information out to millennial markets focusing on an improved online delivery. Instead, magazines were just mailed. The younger market gets most of their media from the internet.

The company was still producing strong content, but it was reaching all consumers. The internet was needed to achieve that, but the company was not using the latest tech to do it.

“They were focusing on survival, not growth,” Kintzer said.

Shifting the focus to social media and improved web design, they began to bounce back, and now have two of the most popular brands on Pinterest. They focus on responsive, cross-platform design across all devices.

“Our approach is to create a strong personal relationship with the consumer,” she said.

Focusing on readers and analyzing how people interact online boosted the company to its current state. Kintzer said a new wave of employees skilled in both business and tech are needed in the industry now. Editors who can focus on and understand web traffic data are needed to keep business afloat.

By Brian Barisa

ACT 8 Experience speaker says print is still relevant, has many important qualities

Posted on: April 18th, 2018 by ldrucker

With the rise of everything digital, some believe print is no longer relevant. However, others believe print has many important qualities that affect how we learn and retain information.

Daniel Dejan, ETC print creative manager, Sappi North America, told the audience at the ACT 8 Experience Wednesday that printed magazines/catalogs/newspapers cause our brain to have higher rates of stimulated activity than merely reading off a screen.

When reading from print, four senses are activated: sight, haptics (touch), smell and sound. We see the layout and page design. Each print medium has a different type of paper that is uses and a different texture that readers feel. Sound comes in the smallest, minute detail of the crinkling and turning of the pages in our books. All these senses are activated when we are reading from print.

Dejan talked about how we read on a digital platform. Our heart rate and blood pressure decreases, which allows us to stop and enjoy what we’re reading.

“When we read from paper, we try to read every word and search for a narrative or story,” he said. “We read for content, which leads us to have a better understanding of the content.”

When reading on laptops and phones, we go into “skim mode” and are constantly searching for key words. We read for speed and look for imagery instead of trying to retain the information.

Dejan was just one of the speakers in the lineup this week for the Meek School of Journalism and New Media’s Magazine Innovation Center ACT 8 Experience. ACT stands for Amplify, Clarify and Testify.

To see the full schedule, visit the ACT 8 Experience website.

Use the hashtag #micact8 and @meekjournalism this week if you attend the conference.

By Leah Davis

Happening This Week: Magazine Media Bliss: ACT 8 Experience April 17-19 at School of Journalism and New Media

Posted on: April 11th, 2018 by ldrucker

It’s been called “two and a half days of magazine media bliss.” The ACT 8 Experience, an event organized annually by the Magazine Innovation Center at the University of Mississippi’s School of Journalism, is set for April 17-20 in Oxford. The 2018 theme is Print Proud, Digital Smart.

Dr. Samir Husni, professor, Hederman Lecturer, and director of the Magazine Innovation Center, said the conference is not for the faint-hearted. “We have an interesting lineup of professionals from all over the world,” he said. “If you’re interested in marketing, journalism, magazines, digital, or a combination of all, you need to attend this conference. It will be a wild ride of critiquing the current magazine industry and welcoming my magazine students who plan to change it for the better.”

Husni said the event will be the biggest ACT Experience to date. This year, it will welcome several new faces, including Linda Thomas Brooks, president & CEO of MPA, the Association of Magazine Media, formerly known as the Magazine Publishers Association; and James Hewes, president and CEO of FIPP, formerly the Federation Internationale de la Presse Periodique (International Federation of Periodical Publishers). The United Kingdom-based trade organization works to improve media content and is comprised of 700 enterprises, including nearly 60 national magazine associations.

The ACT 8 Experience will also welcome Erik van Erp, founder and editor of Print Media News in The Netherlands; Bonnie Kintzer, president and CEO – Trusted Media Brands (formerly Reader’s Digest); and Newell Turner, editorial director of the Hearst Design Group.

“You’ll have direct access to more than 10 editors and editorial directors, nine presidents and CEOs, and a slew of marketers, designers and sales consultants,” Husni said. This will include a total of 33 magazine and magazine media makers.

“Consider this a small vacation,” Husni said. “Sit back and listen to prolific speakers tell their stories – their trials and tribulations we all rallied against to become the best writers, designers marketers and business people we could be.”

Those who attend are encouraged to immerse themselves in the foothills of Mississippi by exploring Oxford. Participants will also have the opportunity to stroll the streets in Clarksdale, home of the Delta Blues Museum and actor Morgan Freeman’s famous Ground Zero restaurant.

Husni said he wants them to leave Oxford with a leg up about the industry, a belly full of Mississippi fried catfish, and an ear full of soothing, Delta blues. “It’s a refreshing experience to slow down to the Mississippi pace of life,” he said. “Enjoy a memorable ACT Experience of learning, doing, seeing and living the Mississippi way.”

Husni said his main motivation for bringing these industry professionals to Oxford is for Meek School students. “The only reason I do that is to bring the industry leaders to meet the future industry leaders,” he said. “I tell my students that it’s an opportunity of a lifetime to be sitting in a car with a CEO of a major magazine or media company, you name it. I assign my students to shadow all these speakers, pick them up from the airport, take them to the airport.”

The Silver Em, the University of Mississippi’s highest award in journalism, will also be awarded at 6 p.m. April 18 during the ACT 8 Experience. Newell Turner, a former University of Mississippi magazine student who rose to become the Hearst Design Group editorial director, will be presented the award.

Turner is responsible for the collective editorial direction of ELLE DECOR, House Beautiful, and Veranda magazines. He served for five years as the 22nd editor-in-chief of House Beautiful, and in 2012 under Turner’s leadership, the magazine won its first National Magazine Award for general excellence—the industry’s equivalent of an Oscar—and was a finalist in the category in 2013.

The Silver Em is usually given to a native or resident of Mississippi who has excelled in the field of journalism and media.

The ACT 8 Experience is dedicated to the memory of Jennifer Reeder, vice president of sales at Democrat Printing and Lithography, and a board member of the Magazine Innovation Center.

Industry leaders may attend and be part of the ACT 8 Experience for less than $400. To register, visit the registration page. Only 100 attendees are permitted to register, so it’s important to reserve your space now.

Confirmed ACT 8 Experience Speakers (in Alpha Order) as of Feb. 1, 2018

Joseph Ballarini: founder and editor-in-chief – Tail Fly Fishing magazine

Joe Berger: publishers marketing and sales consultant, Joseph Berger Associates

Linda Thomas Brooks: president and CEO – MPA: The Association of
Magazine Media

Deborah Corn: principal, chief blogger, and intergalactic ambassador to The Printerverse™ – Print Media Center

Marisa Davis: associate director, product marketing – MNI Targeted Media

Daniel Dejan: North American ETC (Education, Consulting and Training),
print creative manager – Sappi Fine Paper

Jim Elliott: president – The James G. Elliott Company.

Erik van Erp: founder and editor, Print Media News, The Netherlands

John French: co-founder – French LLC

Tony Frost: senior vice president, TVGM LLC, TV Guide

Natashia Gregoire: reputation manager, Editor, Access magazine – Fed Ex

Abdulsalam Haykal: founder and publisher, Harvard Business Review Arabic, United Arab Emirates

James Hewes: president & CEO – FIPP: The Network For Global Media

Mona Hidayet: executive director, clients and products – Advantage CS

Samir “Mr. Magazine™” Husni: founder and director, Magazine Innovation Center

Joe Hyrkin: CEO – issuu

Todd Krizelman: CEO – MEDIAradar

Bonnie Kintzer: president and CEO – Trusted Media Brands

Jerry Lynch: president – Magazine And Books, Retail Association

Daren Mazzucca: vice president/publisher – Martha Stewart Living

Mark Potts: managing editor – Alta The Journal of Alta California

Sebastian Raatz: publisher/co-founder – Centennial Media

Jen Ripple: founder and editor in chief – DUN magazine

Monique de Ruiter: former editor diversity magazine and VTWonen – The Netherlands

Bo Sacks: president, Precision Media Group

Ray Shaw: executive vice president/managing director – MagNet

Tony Silber: former editor – Folio

Franska Stuy: founder and editor – Franska.NL, The Netherlands

John Thames: founder and publisher – Covey Rise Magazine

Newell Turner: editorial director – Hearst Design Group

Liz Vaccariello: editor in chief, Parents Magazine, and Content Director, Meredith Parents Network

Jeffrey Vitter: chancellor – University of Mississippi

Thomas Whitney: president, Democrat Printing & Lithographing

CONTACTS:

Dr. Samir Husni | 662-915-1414, 662-832-6247 | samir.husni@gmail.com

If you will be attending The ACT 8 Experience, please use  #micact8 on Twitter