Platform Magazine will cease printing after 20 years, following Tuesday’s announcement on Fly FM.
The decision by Nottingham Trent Students’ Union was taken to create budget savings, as the organisation cuts back its operations.
The 64-page magazine will, instead, be published in digital format here on Platform-Online.net. We will be putting our energy into expanding our online service in order to keep students in touch with university lifestyle, news and entertainment. Students can access our content on demand and make unlimited contributions to our 12 sections.
I would like to take the opportunity to encourage all Nottingham Trent University students – and our readers from further afield – to continue to support us. Our feedback for this year has been immensely positive, and we will continue to provide the same popular service as before.
We are currently exploring more avenues, but I will announce more details when things become clearer.
In the meantime, look out for the February issue of Platform, which will go live next week, and publicity material appearing on campuses informing you of everything in forthcoming issues.
Thank you.
Glen Davies
Editor-in-Chief
This is terrible news!
How could the SU cut Platform? For the record, I would like to say that the few issues that have been published were fantastic. A new look on what was becoming an old-looking magazine.
Well done Glen Davies, and the rest of the writers. Personally I enjoyed the Sports section!
See you online!
Does this mean that Fly FM is next?
As a student for the last four years at NTU, Platform has been a huge part of my life, as a reader, contributor, sub-editor and editor last year and I am very upset that the drastic decision to pull its print run has been made.
The hard work that Glen, Andy, Aaron, Steph and the rest of the team have put in this year to date is a credit to the magazine, student journalism and to Trent Student’s Union! Hopefully the entire current readership will continue to read and support the publication in its new online format and long may Platform continue to report on the issues and subjects that students deal with on a daily basis.
In a day and age where new media is the norm and print is fast becoming obsolete in some cases, it makes some sense, but when the majority of universities have both a printed magazine and newspaper by taking Platform out of print we are jeopardising future chances of recognition from awards for our students and their hard work, enthusiasm and dedication.
As Platform’s been in print for twenty years (the archives are in the union on city campus and are an impressive sight to see) its heart breaking to see this cease. Maybe one day when the financial difficulties of the Student Union are rectified and stable it will hopefully be a decision that can be reconsidered and altered.
As now how are students going to flick through the pages prior to, in or after lectures? Or have debates, conversations and arguments about content of the magazine in Pulse (Glo), The Point and at Brack Bar?
It’s a decision that I hope was informed and one where I can only hope that all the information and factors were considered and one that has shocked and saddened me.
Sorry Guys, you were all doing a fantastic job!
Amy xx
As a former music editor of Platform it is very sad to see that it has stopped printing. Working on platform as a student helped me get my first step into journalism (I am now political editor of Britain’s third biggest daily newspaper Metro) and it would be sad to think that other students missed out on that opportunity. Reading a website cannot replace having a newspaper or magazine and I hope Platform rises in its analogue format like a Phoenix once there is money for it to do so.
John Higginson
This is awful news. I think cutting the print version of the magazine is a cheap move from Trent Uni.
I graduated last year from FMC and as part of the art and design school I know that many turned to platform for inspiration and as a way to communicate their shows/events etc to the students. The great thing about having a printed magazine is that it made the reading experience a group thing, quite often one housemate would bring home the new version and then it would get looked over by several at the kitchen table or on the sofa. Having only an online presence makes it much more of a personal experience, you rarely get groups huddled round a screen together.
I also thought the magazine itself was just beginning to grow and strengthen and then to cut it from under the students noses is kind of a slap in the face! Most other universities take great pride in their magazines and win awards for them, this is what I’d hoped Platform could aspire to but now, only having an online version instantly looses credibility.
Sure there is a huge move towards online and not print at the moment and budgets are tight but I think that for this magazine it was always going to be more successful in print than online. However I hope everyone still at Trent and involved in Platform can prove me wrong!