With the growth in the quantity and the geographical spread of the news published on the http://www.ausleisure.com and its associated websites, the recent past has seen me reflect on my role as a publisher at Australian Leisure Media along with a number of issues related to industry publications.
In compiling the latest issue, we have focussed on what we publish online and what we publish in the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine.
We have decided that the printed magazine will focus on features, which act as an ongoing reference resource for industry professionals, with the news published in Australasian Leisure Management magazine giving a flavour of the main developments in the industry during our bi-monthly publication cycle.
In turn the http://www.ausleisure.com website is able to publish a vast amount of news on the vibrant leisure industry.
In assessing our approach to what we publish, and where we publish it, we have reaffirmed a commitment to our news, along with our features, being subject to the highest independent editorial standards.
In addition, and where necessary, we also scrutinise and question in order to equip you, our readers with the best possible information from which you can make informed decisions.
This has made us reflect on issues of quality, and the difference between our role as a publisher, rather than media that simply republishes media releases without questioning claims that may be made therein. Neither do we display partiality, only publishing what favours a particular organisation, or backing specific programs while ignoring others.
Sadly, this is not the case with other publications and online resources that claim to be representative of parts of this industry. Some won't report on what they see as being rival events, programs or initiatives – airbrushing rival organisations out of their self-centred view of the industry or promoting the work of chosen consultants and other professional service providers over others.
Then there is the role of academic and refereed publications. Having been the co-founder Routledge’s Managing Leisure journal, I am well aware of the importance of such journals. However, rather like academic orientated conferences, such journals can be driven by the contributors in order to support and justify their academic tenure, rather than whether they are actually read by anything other than a specialised audience. Because of this, such publications have an obligation to not just be accessible to fellow academics and faculty student but to the wider industry.
With that in mind it has been reassuring to see recent academic and studies orientated conferences bridge this gap. Day one of the recent three-day Sport Management of Australia and New Zealand (SMAANZ) Annual Conference featured an industry-led Sport Business Forum while next week’s Australian and New Zealand Association for Leisure Studies (ANZALS) conference will include a session on bridging the gap between academia and the industry.
While these conference developments are encouraging, when professionals read what is published online or in printed industry publications, they need to be sure that what they are reading is committed to the same standards of industry development rather than the cause of self interest.
Nigel Benton, Publisher, Australasian Leisure Management.
www.ausleisure.com
