Christopher Fatseas
Automotive Journalist and Photographer, Freelance
Written by Alon Tvina on 2008-10-19
What do you see happening in the next five years in the automotive magazine industry?
There has already been a great deal of convergence of the automotive magazines. The smaller magazines generally fail to make a profit, or if they are successful they are bought out by the major companies. I work for Express Publications and they have a number of magazines in the modified car category such as: Hot Fours, Fast Fours, Zoom, and High Performance Imports. My boss, the former editor of High Performance Import Magazine is now oversees most of the modified car magazines owned by express publications. So in the next five years I expect to see a continued and even greater convergence of these types of publications. A great deal of content is also acquired electronically over the internet rather than submitting CD’s with photos on them. I expect that these will be done away with and they will be uploaded to a server.
What are the biggest challenges you and your organisation face as a member of the Brisbane media community?
Being a Brisbane based freelance photographer and automotive journalist, I deal with a number of companies and organisations based all over Australia. There are very few Brisbane based, automotive magazines which makes it challenging to find a stable job in this industry. Work comes and goes and is rarely consistent. I often have to contract myself out to companies based outside of Brisbane to keep up the workload. This can be difficult to organise when face-to-face communication is impossible.
What are the most important/valuable skills that graduates can bring to your industry?
Good writers are important for the industry; they need to have a strong grasp of the English language. They have to be sensitive to the needs of their audience and understand what they would be interested in reading. It’s not only writing though, it’s also important to have a multi-disciplinary skill-set especially when working for a magazine. It’s good to know the process a graphic designer, editor and photographer go through when compiling content. Not that you have to be skilled in each of these areas, but it is beneficial to be familiar with the general processes.
How would you rate the performance of Brisbane-based media organisations in comparison to other national and international media hubs?
In terms of automotive magazines, the industry is essentially non-existent in Brisbane. That makes it difficult to give a rating. On an individual basis though, there are a few freelancers in Brisbane who have managed to make a living working for media organisations in other states. Still, the standard of Brisbane based automotive journalists isn’t as high as those in say Sydney. Simply because there is much fewer of them and they have less direct contact with the publication houses they work for.
How has new media such as the Internet and mobile communications revolutionised your workplace?
The internet and mobile communications are two technologies that make my job possible at all. I deal with editors almost exclusively through email and the only physical connection I have with the organisation is when I send an invoice or post a CD full of photos. If I’m just writing a story, these can simply be sent via email. The internet has also completely changed the way photographers get noticed. Internet forums and my portfolio website are able to generate a lot of business online without a store front or any sort of real world presence. The internet has also become essential for finding modified cars that suit the magazine. With a few clicks of a mouse, I’m able to find a car I think the magazine maybe interested in, contact the owner, inform the magazine and organize an interview and photoshoot. Without the internet I just don’t see how all of these tasks could be performed so quickly. In fact, I’d probably be out of a job.
Given the internet has become so important do you think printed magazines are the most appropriate format for the content you work with?
Well in terms of making money they are. There are a number of online magazine I have worked for in the past and they simply don’t have the revenue to pay you very well. The printed magazines also have a much higher level of prestige and people think if a car has made it into a print magazine it must be something pretty special. It just adds credibility. I think readers also enjoy having a tangible printed copy. The quality of photos on the internet is actually quite low given a computer monitor has a resolution of 72dpi. A magazine is usually printed at 300dpi so you can see so much more detail, and the production qualities are much higher. I have to say though, if the online magazines can find a way to generate more revenue and are able to pay journalists a more appropriate wage, things will really change. Already there are some online magazines that are doing this and attracting some high quality journalists. There’s still some way to go before there are any major changes, though and the print magazines are definitely feeling the pressure.
Do you think staff journalists or freelance journalists are the way of the future in the automotive magazine industry?
As things go more and more online, staff journalists will become less desirable. By drawing on freelancers, the publication has eyes and ears wherever they need them to be. Like I was saying I work for publications not only in Brisbane but also nationally and overseas. With staff journalists there is just less flexibility, they have to be paid a wage and in an industry that is always looking to reduce costs it seems that one day there will be less of a need for permanent staff.