5 lessons from CSME’s new editors panel

CSME's "Secrets from the new EICs" event was held at Gabby's in Toronto. From left: Jennifer Reynolds, Allan Britnell, Karine Ewart and Sasha Emmons

By Jef Catapang, for Masthead

CSME's "Secrets from the new EICs" event was held at Gabby's in Toronto. From left: Jennifer Reynolds, Allan Britnell, Karine Ewart and Sasha Emmons

By Jef Catapang, for Masthead

New editors-in-chief of three top titles faced the crowd at the Canadian Society of Magazine Editors (CSME)'s latest mixer, shedding light on work life and the industry at large.

The March 4 panel discussion featured Sasha Emmons, just a month into her editorship at Today's Parent; Karine Ewart, who started atChatelaine mid-January; and Jennifer Reynolds, editor-in-chief ofCanadian Living since November 2012.

Print is no longer the main point

Moderator Allan Britnell, CSME president, asked how the editors see their roles now that their publications are multi-platform brands. Emmons described her job as platform agnostic; the challenge is not just creating a piece of quality content but also figuring out which platform makes the most sense for its launch.

"I don't think we work in publishing in anymore," said Ewart. She prefers the term "content creators" and said the business is becoming more about screens than paper. She said her biggest challenge moving forward is keeping Chatelaine's 86-year-old legacy in tact while also bringing it to life with new business opportunities in radio, television and more.

How the day breaks down

"I don't actually do anything," joked Reynolds, saying most of her workday is spent in meetings and making decisions. Reynolds and Emmons had the same response when asked to describe a typical schedule: "It's a lot of sales."

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