Girlfriend is a successful newsstand magazine in Australia. It’s website is even more successful. They are at the forefront of Internet use – readers get to have a say in the making of the magazine including article suggestions and choosing the front cover. At their u make the mag section of the website their constituents can connect with the staff of the magazine in a way which I’d suggest no other media outlet in Australia matches today. Girlfriend is an excellent model. My only criticism is that the office blog entries are too well written and too sanitised to be genuine blog entries.
Other publishers in Australia should be following the Girlfriend lead and connect with their constituents in an open ended online conversation.