Boston Magazine Editors: Ed 2010 Hosts Insightful Panel

On Wednesday night, two BU alumni sat before a classroom of students with open minds and ears, eager to break into the cutthroat world of magazine journalism. Boston Magazine’s Leah Mennies, Associate Food editor, and Courtney Hollands, Senior Lifestyle editor, imparted their wisdom to the small crowd of Ed 2010 club members and non-member ‘journos’ alike.

During their time at BU, both Mennies and Hollands were actively involved in many on-campus organizations. They each held several high profile and ‘manual labor’ internships, including The Patriot Ledger, Lucky Magazine, and even Holland’s stint abroad with Australia’s Rolling Stone – an experience she jokingly describes as Almost Famous-esque, as she spent time on tour buses with the likes of Good Charlotte.

Mennies and Hollands discussed the dichotomy between writing for print and writing for online publications and the changing media landscape of magazine journalism. Content on the magazine’s website is more up-to-the-minute and a faster way to break news. The print version of the magazine is where writers are able to delve deeper into that news and dedicate more attention to the accompanying visuals.

As editors, Mennies and Hollands understand the importance of cooperation and the difficulty of coordination in the magazine world. The assembly of a quality story for print requires the work of not only the writer and editor, but a number of other players: namely photographers, models, fashion stylists, and even ‘food stylists.’ The final product is the glossy and gorgeous manifestation of an idea that began with a creative spark.

That creative spark, according to Hollands and Mennies, can hit you at any time. Hollands says she might think of an idea for a new story even while riding the T; spotting a construction site around the city and shooting a few questions to the workers might initiate a breaking story about a new boutique or restaurant. Holland’s fashion stories come from patterns she notices in street style, or recurring trends she spots at boutiques. If nothing else, students in attendance Wednesday night left having learned the cardinal rule of journalism: keep your mind open at all times.

The editors also doled out advice on the daunting process of landing those prized internships and making connections. While your GPA is important, it’s all about who you know and what you’ve done. They encouraged cold e-mailing names on a magazine masthead and asking for informational meet-ups. Keep your cover letters short and sweet and show you know the publication well. Resumes should be simple and speak to what you can offer.

The panel was one of many events hosted by the Ed 2010 club. Ed 2010 is a website for students with an interest in magazine journalism. It has internship listings and provides networking opportunities.  Ed 2010 moderator Kelsey Mulvey says the club gives Ed 2010 a “personal, collegiate twist.” Past events have included speaking engagements with the Her Campus editor-in-chief and a former Style & Beauty editor of The Improper. The club has also sponsored two trips to New York City. These trips have included lunch with the former Editorial Assistant of Cosmopolitan magazine and tours of Allure and Teen Vogue. The club’s Tumblr, ed2010bu.tumblr.com, is full of helpful journalistic advice.

In the future, Ed 2010 will host more trips to New York City and bring more insightful speakers to Boston University. Aspiring journalists know all too well how crucial networking opportunities such as these are in such a competitive field, but the prize is worth the fight.

For more information about Ed 2010 and future events, visit ed2010.com or ed2010bu.tumblr.com.

Screenshot of the homepage of the digital version of "Boston Magazine."

About Ingrid Adamow

Ingrid Adamow (COM '14) is Editor-in-Chief and also a writer for The Quad. Ingrid is an advertising major and enjoys reading, writing, good music, fashion, coffee, and adventures around the city of Boston. But mostly coffee.

View all posts by Ingrid Adamow →

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *