It’s All About Team Work
April 1st, 2009 by Jane Schneider
It’s easy to pick up a magazine, flip through its pages, and not think twice about it. Like television or newspapers, a magazine’s content belies the work that goes on behind the scenes each month. What you see in its final form is a melange of ideas that get mixed together to form an interesting, cohesive, informative whole. Even though, as the editor, I do this every month, the job never gets boring. It’s true. There’s just too much to learn, and too much information I’m anxious to share with you, as one parent to another.
So when our hard work gets recognized for a job well done, it’s rather like icing on the cake. This year, Memphis Parent brought home four awards from the annual Parenting Publication of America convention, which met at the end of February in New Orleans.
As part of the convention, we submit our work to a national competition. In judging the magazine against peers in the 30,000-55,000 circulation category, Memphis Parent won four medals for design and editorial content. The competition brings submissions from more than 100 parenting publications, with judging done by the University of Missouri’s College of Journalism.
We were honored with a Gold Medal for our October cover “Halloween Haunts,” by art director Hannah Johnson. Of the cover, the judges wrote, “There’s no way this cover doesn’t bring a smile to the reader.” Johnson also received a Silver Medal for her clever black and white feature layout for the article “Food Moods,” which explored how how moods can be affected by the food we eat. The judges liked Johnson’s take on the subject, writing “Very creative illustrations communicate the connection between food and behavior quickly and engagingly. The fresh approach works well.”
On the editorial side, the topics of abuse among dating teens and helping children manage stress were ideas social worker Susan Elswick explored in our Parent to Parent column. She earned a Gold Medal for her efforts, of which the judges wrote, “These columns are expertly and effectively layered with real examples, problem analysis, research support, and constructive solutions. Overall, she provides continuing reassurance to parents that problems can be solved.”
Finally, freelance writer Sherri McDonald came up a winner again. She earned a Bronze Medal for a service feature she wrote last spring on orthodontics. The judges said: “A crisp, concise look at what parents need to know about braces. A glossary helps break down the jargon of orthodontia. Who knew you could negotiate for braces?”
So I send my sincerest thanks to all of you for helping to make this publication such an excellent resource for parents, grandparents, and all of us who care about kids.
A special thanks and round of applause to our in-house staff: Sheryl Butler (advertising manager), Hannah Johnson (art director), Anthoney Carter (art intern), Christopher Myers (art assistant), Margie Neal (ad production manager), and Marilyn Sadler (copy editor). Also, Meena Viswanathan (calendar editor) does such a great job pulling together our calendar and has such a good eye for detail.
Finally, kudos to the talented freelance writers and photographers in our community who use their expertise to help us tell creative stories in these pages: Richard Alley, Jamie Baker, Beth Bartholomew, Candice Baxter, Judy Bookman, Chip Chockley, Aisling Maki Condon, Synolve Craft, Jenni Deming, Susan Elswick, Stacey Greenberg, Teresa Jenkins, David Kay, Larry Kuzniewski, Glenda Pryor Johnson, Susan Kerstein, Sherri McDonald, Terri Combs-Orme, Stephanie Painter, Elizabeth Phillips, Leigh Ann Roman, Kathy Sena, and Dorchelle Spence.
I couldn’t do it without you. Thanks.