EDITOR’S LETTER
We’re making changes to ensure BN retains its position as market leader
A new direction for boxing coverage
SINCE our inception in 1909, Boxing News has been committed to delivering fearless and unbiased commentary on the sport. The brand’s integrity and independence has remained throughout our 110-year history and today we stand tall as the most respected boxing news outlet in the world, winning numerous awards
for what we do.
So where am I going with this public relations spiel? It’s a fair question.
About 18 months ago we started work on our new website that I’m delighted to say launched successfully at the end of last week. The problems we’ve had in the past with juggling a magazine, a website and social media are undoubtedly the same problems faced by almost every publisher on planet earth – what to deliver for free online and what we should save for the paid-for magazine.
It often meant that our best material did not find its way to the site, our window to the world, as we saved it exclusively for the weekly magazine, sometimes dating it beyond use. This strategy has bothered me for a long time, largely because the reach of the magazine is markedly smaller than what our online channels can boast. With all that in mind, we decided to create one platform for everything; one that can deliver breaking news alongside meaty exclusives and investigations which we can then present to the widest audience. One we can channel all of our focus on.
So, the good news, we have created that online platform. There will be nothing but top content; no more press release-type nonsense, no ‘click-bait’ styles of writing, just the quality from which BN developed its reputation all those years ago. Everything that is in the magazine will therefore appear on the website when it is at its most topical, while also appearing in both digital and print magazine formats for those who, like me, prefer to digest their news the old-fashioned way. In addition, there will be extra premium content and analysis throughout the week to ensure BN retains its position as the market leader for many years to come.
Of course, the bad news, there will be a cost attached to this. But if you’re already a subscriber or if you sign up to become one, all of the content on the website – which also includes access to our digital archives – comes at no extra charge.
I have been committed to providing BN readers with the best boxing content from the moment I took over as editor over four years ago, and this latest development only means there will be more of it. More untold stories, more investigations and more interviews that you will not find anywhere else. Looking ahead, plans are well underway to bring back the podcast and deliver a diverse digital product that should be every boxing fan’s go-to companion. One that you know you can trust.
Indeed, retaining that integrity is exceptionally important to me, particularly in this era of media saturation when countless other outlets are merely regurgitating marketing messages. And it will continue to be my priority, no matter how many phone calls or text messages I get from promoters complaining that we only awarded their upcoming show two stars in our preview. When BN loses that honesty, that fearlessness to do the right thing by you, the reader, is the day that BN dies.
If you’re not already a subscriber I’d urge you to join us. Every subscription we secure will go towards ensuring that Boxing News gets to the heart of all the stories that matter, that it investigates without fear and retains the voice and independence it has had since day one.
As always, I thank you for your ongoing support.
‘THE DAY WE LOSE OUR FEARLESSNESS IS THE DAY THAT BN DIES’