A fake cover of Time magazine has been discovered on display at gold clubs owned by Trump’s business. Time has request the fake cover be removed. I find it hilarious that Trump of all people has a fake magazine cover featuring him displayed in  his businesses. This is the person who bemoans fake news published by mainstream news outlets, like Time. This story is another example of the strange times in which we live. What a jerk.

Uncensored can be a challenging magazine to display. This issue could easily sit with the newspapers instead of fringe titles. It could also be promoted online – depending who you want to attract. That it continues to be published speaks to diversity.

I don’t pitch magazines often on social media but when I do I try and do it in a way that is interesting, different to the usual XXX out now type post. Indeed, being interesting, and entertaining, is essential on social media today, especially on Facebook.

That is what I have gone for here with this post yesterday about That’s Life Reader Recipes. I’m having a bit of fun referencing reality TV.

That’s Life Reader Recipes is a simple publication. I like it for that simplicity. It is local and sharing everyday recipes from everyday Aussies. It is a title ideal for us to promote as being available in our businesses.

It is authentic. The recipes are accessible. It has an everyday appeal. I like this title for all those reasons.

I mention it here today as an example of a practical use of social media for pitching the business. While not likely to have people beating down your doors, a post like this has a local feel to it and that is valuable in social media engagement.

I’d suggest pitching a magazine on Facebook once a week. However, choose the title carefully, stray away from mainstream, from what people would expect of you. Look for a local angle, or at least an angle that is relevant to your business and how you would like it pitched.

Miranda Ward offers an in-depth analysis of the sudden departure of Nick Chan from the CEO role at Bauer Media. I encourage newsagents to read it.

Nick Chan brought with him hope for Bauer from a newsagent perspective, as the company had a leader with Australian magazine experience, a leader with a good track record from his time at the help of Pacific magazines. However, Chan was at the company too short a time for there to be any benefit from his leadership for our channel.

Bauer needs to get its leadership problem sorted out. It needs to reassert itself as an Australian magazine publisher.

While magazines do not contribute traffic and revenue as they used to in our businesses, they are an important product for us – even with rules around supply and display that have not changed in twenty years and that disadvantage us. One only has to look at the Bauer contract with newsagents to see an unfair and out of date model that hurts magazine sales.

We need to move from the old-school approach as it is not relevant today.

I worry that we will see more overseas content from the Bauer network repurposed in Australian Bauer titles and that we will see more overseas titles distributed here. Either of these moves is not good for us as a country, not good for publishing and, I suspect, not good for sales. I hope that my worry is unfounded.

Australians like magazines, they want to buy magazines. More and more today we see destination magazine shoppers leave the newsagency without making a purchase. The product on offer is not satisfying for them.

Publishers need to understand the medium is not in trouble. Okay, so it is to a certain extent in some segments thanks to what we can access on our phones and other mobile devices. However, people are buying print, when they can find the product that suits them.

We need publishers to genuinely innovate, like plenty of newsagents are by transforming their businesses way beyond what has been traditional for the shingle. It is like they are too conservative, too scared to be radical is chasing a new market.

Take older Australians. These folks are magazine fans. The only launch in recent years close to targeting them is Yours, from Bauer. However, Yours is not targeting the age group I’d target. You only have to look at People’s Friend to understand the opportunity I am mentioning.

There are other opportunities, too, that remain ignored.

I am not ignorant of the costs and risks associated with a magazine launch. However, there are terrific successes here in Australia. Frankie is one good example. Publishers need to approach this with a lean startup mentality. It can be done.

Bauer and all magazine publishers in Australia need to look carefully at the Australian marketplace. They should look particularly at what people purchase in newsagencies, as our channel presents more opportunities for a bright future for Australian magazine publishers than supermarkets.