What the Queen’s death says about the power of magazines
As the royals farewell Her Majesty and welcome in King Charles, readers are looking to the glossy titles for guidance, writes Erin Holohan, Are Media editorial director, celebrity titles.
“Surely all you had to do was press send, right?!”
This, I can guarantee you, is what every magazine editor was asked in the wake of the passing of Queen Elizabeth II earlier this month.
Yes, Her Majesty was 96 years old, and yes, there had been discussion about her ailing health for some time. But far from hit send on pre-prepared content last week, the editors of Australia’s biggest magazines filed into their offices, some the minute they heard the news in the early hours of Friday morning. They were ready for days on end of hard work as they sought to produce hundreds of pages of special editions that would pay tribute to a 70-year reign and a historic passing.
