For 30 years The Big Issue has been at the forefront of social activism in the UK, working to dismantle poverty by creating opportunity and giving Big Issue vendors a hand up, not a hand out.
Over the last 30 years The Big Issue have helped over 105,000 vendors earn over £144 million. Now they want to go further and address the causes of poverty. Not just its symptoms.
Social media, multimedia and newsletters will all play a part in driving attention to five core content pillars, alongside the latest in film, TV, book and music reviews, cultural conversations, and big-name interviews, say the publishers.
Dedicated reporters will be tackling five key content areas — housing, employment, environment, activism and social justice — answering the questions people have on the subjects they care about most, as well as the biggest news stories of the day.
According to the publishers, Brits are increasingly engaged in the social issues that matter to them, so The Big Issue will tackle these topics in three crucial ways:
- News: What is happening and why?
- Community: Who is affected and what is being done to help?
- Action: What can readers do to help themselves and each other?
Alastair Reid, Digital Editor of The Big Issue, said: “This is a really exciting next step for The Big Issue. Editorially, we will become a destination site for anyone affected by or concerned about the big social issues affecting modern Britain. We’ll be answering the questions people have on the topics they care about most by focussing on news, community and action. We’re bringing in some new staff to help us achieve that, all while maintaining the top-class cultural coverage and interviews with interesting people saying interesting things which the magazine is known and loved for. It’s clear we’re continuing to go from strength to strength so I want to thank everyone for supporting us on our journey.”
Paul McNamee, Editor of The Big Issue, said: “I am very proud of everything The Big Issue has achieved over the past 30 years. We have done so much to affect real change in society over the last three decades, from giving some of the most vulnerable people a chance to pull themselves out of poverty and changing public perceptions surrounding homelessness to providing people with excellent and hard-hitting journalism. Now it’s time to look forward to what we want to achieve over the next 30 years.”
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