Australian Women’s Weekly editor on how its latest cover has changed industry attitudes
The cover of the July edition of the Australian Women’s Weekly features the image of ultra-marathon bushfire survivor Turia Pitt, a move which surprised many in an industry driven by image. Editor-in-chief Helen McCabe spoke to Miranda Ward about how the cover came about, and its effect not only on the public, but also the beauty and fashion industries as we.
The July cover of the Australian’s Women’s Weekly has done more to market “what the heart and soul of the magazine is” than anything else the magazine’s editor-in-chief Helen McCabe has done in her five years at the helm.
Speaking to Mumbrella about the July edition which featured Turia Pitt, a survivor of the bushfire that swept through an ultra-marathon in Western Australia’s Kimberly region in September 2011, McCabe said the cover is “a really strong signal to market that this magazine is committed to Australian women, quality stories, independent journalism, long-form story telling and quality writing.
“The magazine was tested by a lot of readers who not had picked it up before, it probably did more to market the magazine and what the heart and soul of the magazine is than anything else I’ve done in the last five years. It sent a strong message to the community about who we are and what we’re doing here,” said McCabe.
I was one of those women who hasn’t bought the magazine in years but bought this issue having seen it being shared on Facebook and then on display in the supermarket. Let’s have more of it.
I want one too – I’m going out now to buy it. [Edited under Mumbrella’s content moderation policy]
Congratulations. To each and everyone involved. It’s a brave cover for Editor, publisher and model.
And good on those buying the magazine – a far greater story is in those covers than that about Deborah’s body or Price George’s pictures… It deserves to push circulation up.
“You’ve got to remember I’ve put a naked 50 year old Deborah Hutton on the cover a few years ago, so I’ve done some pretty interesting and risky covers already.”
WHOA WHOA, SLOW DOWN WITH THE RISKINESS
Disagree. It’s turning Turia Pitt into a freakshow to sell copies.
The women s weekly has always been a first class read, I have read it myself since I was a boy, when I regularly read my mother’s copy. She read W W and the British “Woman” magazine.
I admire this article, but I have a few opinions.
[quote] ” I’ve put a naked 50 year old Deborah Hutton on the cover a few years ago, so I’ve done some pretty interesting and risky covers already.”[ unquote]
The image of Hutton, rather like the recent images by Ella Bache, is of the theatrically contrived “self body wrap” nudes, where no more (in fact arguably less) of the naked body can actually be seen than would have been the case if she had worn a short skirt and bra.
[quote] “This one in the end didn’t feel that risky.” [unquote] Why? Did the risky feel that it supposedly had earlier hold you back, or fuel your decision you to use it?
[quote] “McCabe is hopeful the cover will not only challenge society’s view on what beauty is but also encourage other magazines to think about what stories make good covers.” [unquote]
How and why should this cover “challenge societies view on what beauty is”?
You cannot define or alter a view on beauty by comparing it to beauty. The inner beauty that you hint at is a kind of beauty, the obvious beauty conveyed by female pulchritude is also a kind of beauty.
A woman may display the most exquisite beauty whilst displaying appalling personal opinions and behaviors and vice versa. Mother Teresa, Edith Cavell, and Gladys Aylward were each extraordinarily beautiful women, but they would never be matched with the beauty of Grace Kelly, Simone Signoret or Lauren Bacall. There were/are those women who seem to have had both kinds of beauty, Emiline Pankhurst is one that comes to mind.
The superficial statements to which you refer are just that , superficial, they are also apologetic and pretend to hide (and at the same time reveal ) a higher regard, a grander taste in the proponent.
Maybe I’m getting old (I’ll be 33 this year) but I’ve started buying WW after reading it at a nail salon and being impressed with the feature articles inside which were less about tawdry US celebrities and more about real issues such as asylum seekers, climate change and the modern face of feminism.
Plus, cakes. Bravo to Helen and co for bucking the downward publications trend.
Whatever makes you feel better about milking her situation.
Helen is class.
OK. Today I went and bought a copy. Disappointing that the cover his hardly visible due to some other freebie being stuck to it.
WW’s publisher, the German company; Bauer Media Group, will love the profits they make out of this as a result I am sure.
Ad Person, what’s your point? “Company likes making a profit” is hardly a revelation (whatever the nationality).
If there’s a Mumbrella State The Obvious award, I think you just won it… 🙂
Congratulations to Helen and the team at the Women’s Weekly. I made a point of purchasing it.
For and foremost because I wanted to read about Turia, and it was also fantastic to see a magazine get as far away from that shocking Kardashian culture that has seeped into many parts of the media.
Well done.
That has generated a huge volume of awareness but what is that for? Whats next?
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