Sunday Times Magazine

As The Sunday Times Magazine launches into its seventh decade under new editor Martin Hemming it has renewed its focus on the quality journalism that it has always been synonymous with. That means providing intelligent takes on the biggest stories of the day, delivered by voices that can be trusted in these turbulent times. Our successful move towards a digital-first strategy has helped to attract a new online readership. We are no longer a Sunday-only supplement; our features head up the website throughout the week prior to print publication, trend on Apple News and set the news agenda before the physical paper even hits newsstands. It is an approach that has been rewarded with an engaged and invested audience and digital growth up 17%.

Our commissioning remains focussed on the stories that really matter to our readers. The Magazine has a long history of profiling the most important cultural figures of the day and this year has been no exception. Standout exclusives included Kate Garrway’s devastating insight on the plight carers, Ben Goldsmith opening up about the death of his daughter, Evan Davis revealing the day he got married was the day his father ended his life, and Brooke Shields and her experiences of child stardom and sexual abuse. Elsewhere we took the bold move to match Nick Cave and Rowan Williams together for a unique and emotional discussion of grief, while Timothy West and Prunella Scales moved our readers to tears with the impact of dementia on their marriage. There has also been space for deep dives into quirkier aspects of life - an insight into urban foxhunting, our exploration of the humble banana and a review of Adelemania in Vegas proved instant hits and highlighted our knack for storytelling. While the words may do the talking it is our diverse group of writers which engage our readers so well. Big names such as Decca Aitkenhead, Matt Rudd and now Hadley Freeman are a reassuring presence on our pages. Freeman’s own searing memoir of her experience with anorexia illustrates the breadth of our talent. While rising stars such as Charlotte Ivers, Megan Agnew and Audrey Ward have been responsible for engaging a larger young and female audience.

Our magazine covers continue to make a splash across mainstream media. And while cutting edge design and thoughtful photojournalism on the printed page remain paramount to our offer, our art department has invested heavily in online photography, slick graphic features and insightful video production to ensure our digital offer jumps off the screen. A natty social media strategy has also proved integral. The Magazine is brought to life by a team dedicated to relevant, stylish and thought provoking journalism — on all platforms. This in turn has enabled us to not only future proof our iconic Magazine brand but also lead from the front in a new digital-first age.