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Sector Profiles
Publishing and Media
Overview
Estimated graduate starting salary: £12,000 - £18,000
Typical salary after training: £23,000 - £35,000
The publishing and media industries represent a popular choice among graduates who recognise a sector that offers the opportunity to develop ideas and be creative, often getting enormous amounts of job satisfaction from seeing something through the entire creative cycle. The publishing and media sectors are seen as exhilarating environments to work in and as a consequence job openings are fiercely contested. The most sought after positions tend to be in the print and broadcast media.
Commercial publishing employs around 164,000 people. It is estimated to have an annual turnover of around £18 billion. There are over 8,000 commercial employers in the sector consisting of a small number of multi-national companies and a large number of small to medium size enterprises (SME's). 85% of employers have no more than ten employees. Even so, the majority of employment is with a small number of organisations with over 40% employing over 200 staff. Most employment is in London and the South East.
As publishers deal in a market with ever-smaller margins, the trend has been to retain only small numbers of permanent staff, outsourcing work to smaller companies and freelance writers.
The publishing industry covers:
The use of media planning and buying is becoming a powerful strategic marketing tool. As the media environment continues to fragment, with over 200 TV channels available, an estimated 2 million web sites existing, 14 sections in the Sunday Times and over 100 commercial radio stations available in the UK, the days of mass audiences are over. Where ten years ago, commercial opportunities on TV were ITV and Channel 4, delivering the masses, today you have to follow one basic guideline. It is not how much money you spend on advertising, it is where you spend your money on advertising. There is a need to build a relationship with the core consumer through their actively consumed media, delivering effective targeting and eliminating the competition from that media environment.
Media planning is the process of establishing objectives and choosing the most suitable means for achieving these objectives. The art of media planning revolves around making the best use of all possible media outlets resulting in having an advert situated in the place where it will be seen by the correct audience. Media buying is the implementation of a media plan. It is the media buying which results in the adverts actually being placed in the correct environment. Media buying uses the same principles whatever media is being purchased.
Today we're in the middle of a media explosion. Once upon a time - say ten years ago - there was a relatively simple choice of TV and radio channels, press options, posters and so on. Now, with cable, satellite, and digital television, a proliferation of radio and press media and all the implications of interactive multimedia and the Internet, the choices are increasing phenomenally.
As digital technology increases the opportunities for the number of TV channels and radio stations, the size of audiences watching and listening to each channel will decrease. This means that as time progresses it will become more and more difficult to reach a vast number of people through the use of one TV show or radio station.
The internet has also had a massive effect upon the media world, as it has opened up a whole new range of possibilities. For instance you can now listen to American radio stations via the internet in UK.
The future scope for technology is breathtaking for example, WAP phones in the future will hold details about products and areas of interest to you. This could mean that you could pay for your groceries via your phone and if you were passing the video store and a new film which could be of interest to you had just been released, a message would be sent to your phone inviting you to hire it. In this way messages are tailored to your needs.
Typical salary after training: £23,000 - £35,000
The publishing and media industries represent a popular choice among graduates who recognise a sector that offers the opportunity to develop ideas and be creative, often getting enormous amounts of job satisfaction from seeing something through the entire creative cycle. The publishing and media sectors are seen as exhilarating environments to work in and as a consequence job openings are fiercely contested. The most sought after positions tend to be in the print and broadcast media.
Commercial publishing employs around 164,000 people. It is estimated to have an annual turnover of around £18 billion. There are over 8,000 commercial employers in the sector consisting of a small number of multi-national companies and a large number of small to medium size enterprises (SME's). 85% of employers have no more than ten employees. Even so, the majority of employment is with a small number of organisations with over 40% employing over 200 staff. Most employment is in London and the South East.
As publishers deal in a market with ever-smaller margins, the trend has been to retain only small numbers of permanent staff, outsourcing work to smaller companies and freelance writers.
The publishing industry covers:
- Books and journals
- Directories and databases
- Magazines
- Newspaper publishing
- Public and not-for-profit publishing
The use of media planning and buying is becoming a powerful strategic marketing tool. As the media environment continues to fragment, with over 200 TV channels available, an estimated 2 million web sites existing, 14 sections in the Sunday Times and over 100 commercial radio stations available in the UK, the days of mass audiences are over. Where ten years ago, commercial opportunities on TV were ITV and Channel 4, delivering the masses, today you have to follow one basic guideline. It is not how much money you spend on advertising, it is where you spend your money on advertising. There is a need to build a relationship with the core consumer through their actively consumed media, delivering effective targeting and eliminating the competition from that media environment.
Media planning is the process of establishing objectives and choosing the most suitable means for achieving these objectives. The art of media planning revolves around making the best use of all possible media outlets resulting in having an advert situated in the place where it will be seen by the correct audience. Media buying is the implementation of a media plan. It is the media buying which results in the adverts actually being placed in the correct environment. Media buying uses the same principles whatever media is being purchased.
Today we're in the middle of a media explosion. Once upon a time - say ten years ago - there was a relatively simple choice of TV and radio channels, press options, posters and so on. Now, with cable, satellite, and digital television, a proliferation of radio and press media and all the implications of interactive multimedia and the Internet, the choices are increasing phenomenally.
As digital technology increases the opportunities for the number of TV channels and radio stations, the size of audiences watching and listening to each channel will decrease. This means that as time progresses it will become more and more difficult to reach a vast number of people through the use of one TV show or radio station.
The internet has also had a massive effect upon the media world, as it has opened up a whole new range of possibilities. For instance you can now listen to American radio stations via the internet in UK.
The future scope for technology is breathtaking for example, WAP phones in the future will hold details about products and areas of interest to you. This could mean that you could pay for your groceries via your phone and if you were passing the video store and a new film which could be of interest to you had just been released, a message would be sent to your phone inviting you to hire it. In this way messages are tailored to your needs.
Career path
The first step in any media process is the gathering of information. Everything starts with a brief. Media and publishing strategy requires a thorough understanding of a client's business, the communication objectives and the characteristics of each medium. Strategic planning has become a way of making media more creative.
As a graduate there are four distinct areas where you can find a job in publishing:
Large book and magazine publishers generally have openings for junior staff such as researchers or sub-sub-editors, but more demanding or experienced (especially those within online publishing) roles are harder to come by. Training and recognised qualifications can be offered by organisations like the National Training Organisation or the National Council for the Training of Journalist, which validates courses. Highly attractive yet competitive schemes are offered by the big media broadcasting companies or consumer and business publishing firms. In recruiting terms the media is often seen as a revolving door; to get a foot in, the best advice is often to aim low and see what is on offer locally with newspapers, radio and TV stations being the first destination. Once you gain a placement or some temporary work you will have to build a reputation, experience and contacts through a combination of networking and freelancing.
A clear career structure exists in larger publishers from: junior editorial level to senior commissioning editor; production assistant to production controller; marketing assistant to marketing manager. In smaller publishers, these roles will be blurred and even crossover. A small employer may provide a more varied role. A number of publishers employ people on a freelance basis for many of the routine tasks such as proofreading and copy-editing. Publishing is a meritocracy. Those with talent and ability can progress very quickly as they prove themselves on successive projects.
Graduates can also find employment in media planning/buying, sales and research within media agencies, owners and consultancies. Research jobs in the media is the process of collating and analysing data in order to help the planners, buyers and sales people at the media owners do their jobs. A media researcher would, for instance be involved in defining the exact target audience for a campaign and determining their exact media consumption. The research is primarily quantitative so you need to be good with need numbers and be familiar with certain statistical software packages. Media planners will research potential target markets and assess what might be the best media mix to use to reach the required target market in the brief. They will then liaise with the creative department to decide what form the advertising campaign might take, what is the most suitable media channel to use and how often the advert should appear. Once a media campaign has been planned and agreed a media buyer will then buy the appropriate spots.
Media buyers work very closely with media planners. Their jobs is the buy media space in whatever medium the adverts are to appear. They try to reach the highest number of people in their target audience at the lowest possible cost.
TV buying revolves around buying 'air time' in advert breaks. The type of audience a particular campaign is aimed at determines the type of TV program that is bought into. For example when trying to reach housewives, programmes such as Coronation Street and Emmerdale are best at reaching this type of audience. If a company are trying to reach young males between the ages of 18-28, they would buy into a programme such as On The Ball. Other media utilise the same principles as those used in TV.
Salaries in publishing and media are relatively modest initially (starting at around the £13,000 - £15,000 mark) due to the popularity of careers in the industry. Nevertheless, career progression can be quite rapid and successful individuals can expect to be earning between £25,000 and £30,000 after five years. After several years in the industry individuals, if they have not done so already, typically start to specialise within a particular field or genre.
If you do decide that a careers in one of these industries is for you then you'll need plenty of determination to succeed. Due to the competitive nature of the industry many you'll have to persevere and remain optimistic if you want to achieve your ambitions or career goals.
As a graduate there are four distinct areas where you can find a job in publishing:
- Editorial - researching, writing and editing text
- Design - creating and illustrating pages
- Production - preparing the product for the printer
- Sales and marketing - selling the product and anticipating the market
Large book and magazine publishers generally have openings for junior staff such as researchers or sub-sub-editors, but more demanding or experienced (especially those within online publishing) roles are harder to come by. Training and recognised qualifications can be offered by organisations like the National Training Organisation or the National Council for the Training of Journalist, which validates courses. Highly attractive yet competitive schemes are offered by the big media broadcasting companies or consumer and business publishing firms. In recruiting terms the media is often seen as a revolving door; to get a foot in, the best advice is often to aim low and see what is on offer locally with newspapers, radio and TV stations being the first destination. Once you gain a placement or some temporary work you will have to build a reputation, experience and contacts through a combination of networking and freelancing.
A clear career structure exists in larger publishers from: junior editorial level to senior commissioning editor; production assistant to production controller; marketing assistant to marketing manager. In smaller publishers, these roles will be blurred and even crossover. A small employer may provide a more varied role. A number of publishers employ people on a freelance basis for many of the routine tasks such as proofreading and copy-editing. Publishing is a meritocracy. Those with talent and ability can progress very quickly as they prove themselves on successive projects.
Graduates can also find employment in media planning/buying, sales and research within media agencies, owners and consultancies. Research jobs in the media is the process of collating and analysing data in order to help the planners, buyers and sales people at the media owners do their jobs. A media researcher would, for instance be involved in defining the exact target audience for a campaign and determining their exact media consumption. The research is primarily quantitative so you need to be good with need numbers and be familiar with certain statistical software packages. Media planners will research potential target markets and assess what might be the best media mix to use to reach the required target market in the brief. They will then liaise with the creative department to decide what form the advertising campaign might take, what is the most suitable media channel to use and how often the advert should appear. Once a media campaign has been planned and agreed a media buyer will then buy the appropriate spots.
Media buyers work very closely with media planners. Their jobs is the buy media space in whatever medium the adverts are to appear. They try to reach the highest number of people in their target audience at the lowest possible cost.
TV buying revolves around buying 'air time' in advert breaks. The type of audience a particular campaign is aimed at determines the type of TV program that is bought into. For example when trying to reach housewives, programmes such as Coronation Street and Emmerdale are best at reaching this type of audience. If a company are trying to reach young males between the ages of 18-28, they would buy into a programme such as On The Ball. Other media utilise the same principles as those used in TV.
Salaries in publishing and media are relatively modest initially (starting at around the £13,000 - £15,000 mark) due to the popularity of careers in the industry. Nevertheless, career progression can be quite rapid and successful individuals can expect to be earning between £25,000 and £30,000 after five years. After several years in the industry individuals, if they have not done so already, typically start to specialise within a particular field or genre.
If you do decide that a careers in one of these industries is for you then you'll need plenty of determination to succeed. Due to the competitive nature of the industry many you'll have to persevere and remain optimistic if you want to achieve your ambitions or career goals.
Qualifications and skills needed
For all publishing sectors, it is essential to have gained some experience of the industry prior to applying for a post. Your interest will need to have run alongside your academic studies. If you have not gained work experience during your studies then you might give serious consideration to postgraduate study. Whilst these do not guarantee entry into the profession at a higher level they do endow students with the skills and awareness to get their first job.
Generally if you are looking for graduate employment in the media sector it would be advisable to follow these basic guidelines:
Graduates should be very motivated, have excellent communication and negotiation skills, good attention to detail and be able to multi-task. Having an interest in the "written word" and broadcasting would help and perhaps some relevant extra curricular activities to put on your CV would be an advantage. Secretarial skills, such as touch typing and basic spreadsheet knowledge, will give you a head start as an assistant. A familiarity with Quark and other desk top publishing programmes may also look good on your CV, as will any experience on Apple Macs.
Across all the publishing sectors, editorial is the most competitive area to break into. There are few opportunities and competition is stiff. For specialist publishers of any sector, specific knowledge at degree level may be a necessity. This is particularly the case in academic publishing.
Most designers will have studied graphic design and have obtained formal qualifications prior to entry into publishing careers. Website design is becoming increasingly important.
Entry into sales and marketing relies less on knowledge of publishing and more on business and personal skills. There are a number of training schemes with publishers in sales and marketing, particularly in the magazine and newspaper industries. You must be able to cope in a fast paced environment, have a good head for business and a be able to demonstrate a genuine interest in this sector at an interview.
Generally if you are looking for graduate employment in the media sector it would be advisable to follow these basic guidelines:
- Get relevant work experience to put on your CV
- Develop your practical skills
- Join media societies and take advantage of any opportunities they offer for basic insight, training and networking into the industry
- Build up a list of contacts and network your way into a role
- Acquire good secretarial and computer skills
- Persevere with all your job applications. Being determined and strong willed is a key asset
Graduates should be very motivated, have excellent communication and negotiation skills, good attention to detail and be able to multi-task. Having an interest in the "written word" and broadcasting would help and perhaps some relevant extra curricular activities to put on your CV would be an advantage. Secretarial skills, such as touch typing and basic spreadsheet knowledge, will give you a head start as an assistant. A familiarity with Quark and other desk top publishing programmes may also look good on your CV, as will any experience on Apple Macs.
Across all the publishing sectors, editorial is the most competitive area to break into. There are few opportunities and competition is stiff. For specialist publishers of any sector, specific knowledge at degree level may be a necessity. This is particularly the case in academic publishing.
Most designers will have studied graphic design and have obtained formal qualifications prior to entry into publishing careers. Website design is becoming increasingly important.
Entry into sales and marketing relies less on knowledge of publishing and more on business and personal skills. There are a number of training schemes with publishers in sales and marketing, particularly in the magazine and newspaper industries. You must be able to cope in a fast paced environment, have a good head for business and a be able to demonstrate a genuine interest in this sector at an interview.
Sources for further information
Broadcasting Entertainment Cinematograph & Theatre Union www.bectu.org.uk
The Publishers Association www.publishers.org.uk
Society of Freelance Editors and Proofreaders www.sfep.org.uk
The Publishers Association www.publishers.org.uk
Society of Freelance Editors and Proofreaders www.sfep.org.uk
