Review – Revamped Big Issue

The Big Issue is now 6 years old and was desperately in need of this revamp. The novelty-buy has worn-off, and people want to get more than a warm charitable feeling when they hand over their money to the street-vendors. The cover-design has been sharpened-up, it is now more prominent and it is hoped that this will make the publication easier to sell.

The news coverage has been extended and has been boosted with a shot of its original principles; it investigates, uncovers and challenges, firing issues into the centre of national debate. The title somehow manages to achieve the seemingly impossible, its articles manage to be cutting edge without being sensational. One feature reveals the ‘Delia Smith’ of the drugs’ world, a man who speaks-up for the benefits of chemical concoctions.

The Big Issue may be allied with charity, the Labour Party and the environment, but the publication’s image and its reality are two very separate entities. Offside, this week gives an ex-hunt saboteur the chance to speak-out on why he now sympathises with the hunters. This an example of the element of surprise that the magazine is trying to maintain.

The old tried and tested favourites still remain, however; the what’s on section is now more in-depth, but otherwise unchanged and homeless people still have a voice, three pages are given over to homeless people who want a chance to express their views and opinions on life on the street.

The classified advertising has been expanded and is now clearly laid out and easy to scan. Of the 47 pages, 27 pages are given over to advertising and with the magazine now the third most popular read among 15-24 year olds, it is proving an ever popular medium for spreading messages.

An occasional reader may not notice the changes in this week’s issue, they are subtle, but a regular reader will notice a marked improvement. This is not a publication you buy out of pity. You buy The Big Issue, because you want to read it.