Live experiences “part of the solution” for democratisation of content, says FIPP Rising Stars finalist Tine Presterud

What excites you about working in the magazine media industry right now?

What excites me the most about working in the magazine media industry right now is actually the uncertainty of it – the fact that the media is being disrupted from unexpected places forces us to be on our toes. I realise, that for the majority of the industry, and especially for the people who have been here for many years, this is cause for great frustration, but being new to the business I find it a very exciting time to enter at this stage, at what seems to be such a crucial moment. It feels like anything can happen, and I find that openness very inspiring.                                                                                                                 

What is your vision/view on the future of the industry?

It is of course hard for me to talk about the entire industry, as it covers such a variety of fields. Something that I am quite interested in though, is how especially print magazines are changing sphere from being a source of information to being an experience.

At First Purple we have started referring to it, as the experience of being offline – the feeling of being present and attentive, instead of having 20 tabs open at once. I don’t consider this a return to something, which was before the internet, but rather a post-internet tendency addressing the same need, that makes urban gardening and DIY trend: No doubt that the internet is the best way to find information about when to plant carrots or how to build your own chair, but it’s the offline experience of actually doing it that brings you joy.      

I personally believe, that the ability to create live experiences is part of the solution for almost any industry, which has been threatened or disrupted by the internet’s democratisation of content. We haven’t stopped going to concerts because we can stream music for free – on the contrary – and we won’t stop reading great stories and enjoying graphic design; we just want it presented to us in a way which satisfies our need for experience.

What exciting changes do you think we will see happen/should happen in the near future?

I believe the wave of new independent magazines in print will continue – and I really hope it will. But I think we’ll see an even more holistic approach from these publishers, putting the magazine in the centre of the brand, but still being perfectly aware and capable of managing an online universe as well.

I also think, we will see a larger degree of personalisation in both content and media, due to more than a decade of social media putting every one of us in the centre of attention. I think we will see a demand: content about my interests, in the media of my choice, delivered when I want it.                             

What you think of the Rising Star in Media initiative?

I have a great deal of respect for FIPP for founding this initiative and recognising, that the voice of the new generation of magazine producers can be not only valid, but even inspiring. I think the fact that it is a global award is very sensible and a great strength. The list this year includes young contributors from every continent, and I’ll be fascinated to hear what the industry looks like from their side of the world.

What has it meant to make FIPP’s Rising Star in Media 2016 list?

Naturally I am very honoured to be featured in the company of such talented people. I did not expect this at all, but I am so pleased that someone like me, who’s relatively new to the world of magazine media and working for a small publishing house like First Purple, is actually valued for my contribution to the global industry.

More about Tine Presterud

Presterud holds an MA in Modern Culture and Cultural Communication and has studied in Copenhagen, Berlin and New York. She has a background in the performing arts and has worked in theatres, co-produced festivals and been engaged with communications and PR work. She has recently co-founded the culture guide Blacklisted.dk and aspires to build a magazine around it. Tine has also worked for Roskilde Festival and is a published children’s book author. 

FIPP created the Rising Stars in Media Awards in partnership with UPM and will be running it again in autumn 2017 alongside the FIPP World Congress. If you would like to be kept informed about next year’s process, email Christine Huntingford.