Magazine Law: A Practical Guide

We are indebted to David Longbottom who, when executive director of the Periodicals Training Council, identified the need for a practical guide such as this and on whose original idea the book is based. Vivien James, its first publisher, whose enthusiasm for the project persuaded Blueprint, an imprint of Chapman & Hall, to back it, was also greatly encouraging. Joanne Butcher, at the PTC, and Rebecca Barden, senior editor at Routledge, inherited responsibility for the project before the halfway stage and have been eager to steer it to completion. Kieran Dowling, from the Department of Employment, gave the project the Department’s blessing and promise of financial support.

Wynford Hicks, Jenny McKay and John Morrish, industry professionals, read some of the early chapters and their constructive criticisms and comments have been incorporated whenever possible. Their unanimous verdict in favour of publication provided a tremendous boost.

Over the years, though they could not have known it then, many people in numerous ways had already begun making contributions to a book which had not even been thought about, that to name them all would be like publishing another telephone directory. Nevertheless, we hope they recognise their contributions in much of the content and we offer them collectively our gratitude and best wishes.

Journalists from magazine companies who attended media law courses helped to shape and test the practical aspects of those sessions, and among them we thank those from Benn Publications, BBC Magazines, EMAP Publications in London and Peterborough, Future Publishing, Haymarket, IPC Magazines, Metal Bulletin, Miller Freeman, PMA Training and its client companies, Reed Business Publishing, VNU and William Reed. Thanks also to journalists from Kent Messenger Group newspapers and to Reed Regional Newspapers in London and the Midlands.

Staffs of the training departments of those magazines and newspapers who invited us to conduct their media law training courses and whose efficient

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