Graduate combines hobby and career with fantastic results

By UK Journalism

A graduate has incorporated a lifelong hobby with his passion for journalism and has become a magazine editor at only 21-years-old.

Ian Brogden graduated from UCLan in 2005 with a degree in Journalism with Film and Media and is now the editor of fishing magazine Northern Angler, which covers the North West and Yorkshire.

He got involved after meeting the then editor of the NorthWest Angler magazine six months after leaving university when it had only just been set up. After spending three months helping the magazine to take off, the editor left and Ian was offered the job.

Couldnít turn down

Ian said: ìI was shocked when I was offered his job ñ an editor at the age of 21. In the long run it is fantastic, but at first it was a bit of pressure as the magazine was struggling with advertising revenue. However I recognised if nothing else that it was a great chance for my career and one I could not turn down.î

The magazine has progressed significantly since Ian became editor so much so that is was re-named the Northern Angler to incorporate Yorkshire and increased from 44 to 64 pages.

ìOnce we got going and were established, the advertisers gained an interest, the readers gained interest and the paper began to succeed.î

Ian has been a fisherman all of his life but said it had never occurred to him to combine is hobby with his career.

ìLooking back, I canít believe the idea never came to me, as there are a lot of fishing titles out there, and being a keen angler, I was a regular reader of many of them. Whilst at university as in the back of my mind all I was thinking was which newspaper can I work for?î

Although his office is based in Leigh, Ian is able to do most of his work from home though his day to day duties differ.

He said: ìThe last two days I have been out on the bank with anglers, shadowing them, making notes of their tactics and taking pictures. Today I will be looking to write up two features. When you are writing about something you enjoy and are knowledgeable about, it comes easy and can be done in a few hours.î

He also liaises with designers for the magazine layout and edits copy sent in from the freelance contributors.

Ian is keen for anyone with an interest in journalism and fishing to contact him about getting involved with the magazine and says he would encourage anyone to consider working in specialist publications.

ìMany of the contributors we use are only anglers and have no background in journalism, they are just guys who use decent English and know how to write a good article. Therefore having the experience of journalism, combined with an interest in the subject, will surely increase your chances of work.î

He added: ìI am delighted to be able to incorporate my hobby with my job as, I am sure, anybody else would be.î

More info
Combines Honours Journalism
More information about the Northern Angler

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Extra and related information

Our print and broadcast courses are accredited by the The Broadcast Journalism Training Council and the National Council for the Training of Journalists. Our MA Magazine Journalism is accredited by the Periodicals Training Council.