The Big Issue - Magazines 📰

Question 1

What is The Big Issue?

Answer 1

The Big Issue = an independent ‘alternative’ current affairs and entertainment magazine distributed by poor or homeless people, as a way to support them and for them to make a legitimate income.

Question 2

Who created The Big Issue?

Answer 2

The Big Issue was created by Baron John Bird, a social entrepreneur, and Gordon Roddick, a Scottish multi-millionaire and co-founder of the Body Shop.

Question 3

What influenced Bird and Roddick to create The Big Issue?

Answer 3

Bird and Roddick were influenced by Street Times NY.

Question 4

When was the first copy published?

Answer 4

The first copy of The Big Issue was published in September 1991 by Dennis Publishing UK.

Question 5

Who are Dennis Publishing UK?

Answer 5

Since 2011, Dennis Publishing, an independent media company, has provided support with subbing, production, design and generating advertising revenue for The Big Issue.

Question 6

What is Subbing?

Answer 6

Subbing is the process of reviewing, editing and correcting copy.

Question 7

Where was The Big Issue first published?

Answer 7

The Big Issue was first published in the UK, but now has editions in over 41 countries (e.g. Australia from 1996, Japan from 2003 and Kenya from 2007).

Question 7

What was the distribution process for The Big Issue?

Answer 7

The Big Issue was distributed through vendors, subscription services, or digitally on the Zinio Digital Publishing Platform.

Question 8

What are the other parts of The Big Issue LTD?

Answer 8

The magazine is only one part of The Big Issue LTD:
- Big Issue Foundation = a registered independently funded charity providing support for vendors. They work with many emerging and established UK homeless charity organisations

Question 9

How is The Big Issue regulated?

Answer 9

The Big Issue is not a member of IPSO (Independent Press Standards Organisation), but The Big Issue must adhere to the strict regulations of all publications created by them.

Question 10

How many people are classed as homeless in the UK?

Answer 10

300,000 people are classed as homeless in the UK.

Question 11

How much do UK councils spend on homelessness services per year?

Answer 11

UK Councils spend £1.15Bn on homelessness services per year, including £845m on temporary accommodation.

Question 12

How many registered rough sleepers are there in Great Britain?

Answer 12

There are 4447 registered rough sleepers across GB, but this is an underestimate. In London 2015, there were 8108 registered rough sleepers.

Question 13

What percentage of rough sleepers struggled with their mental health?

Answer 13

47% of rough sleepers in London struggled with their mental health in 2013.

Question 14

What is the main cause of homelessness?

Answer 14

The main cause of homelessness is the loss of a private tenancy.

Question 15

Who edits, writes and designs The Big Issue?

Answer 15

The Big Issue is edited, written and designed by newspaper / magazine professionals, giving it the aesthetic of a legitimate and appropriate publication.

Question 16

How does selling and buying The Big Issue work?

Answer 16

Vendors can develop their own “micro-business” by buying the magazine for £1.50 and selling it for £4, keeping the profit.

Question 17

How many copies of The Big Issue are sold daily and weekly?

Answer 17

The Big Issue sells around 12,000 magazines every day - that’s around 84,000 magazines each week, and it’s still rising, as sales increased by 5% in 2016.

Question 18

On average, how much does a Big Issue North vendor earn per week?

Answer 18

On average, a Big Issue North vendor earns around £60 per week.

Question 19

In terms of The Big Issue, what happened during Covid?

Answer 19

Due to Covid, vendors weren’t able to distribute on the streets, so vendors went cashless and online, offering subscription services.
It was found that cashless vendors earned 30% more than non-cashless vendors.

Question 20

What are the 2 slogans of The Big Issue?

Answer 20

“A Hand Up Not A Handout”
- they’re not handing out freebies

“Dismantling Poverty and Creating Opportunities”
- they want to break down poverty

Question 21

What are the messages, values and representations that we can take from The Big Issue?

Answer 21

1. The stories are focused on those who are marginalised an underrepresented.
2. When they use celebs in their magazines (celeb culture), they use them to promote a cause.
3. Political context is focused on campaigning against homelessness.
4. Editorial content often critical or big businesses and banking in relation to the social context.

Question 22

What percentage of readers of The Big Issue are ABC1 AND AB?

Answer 22

72% of readers are ABC1
28% of readers are AB

Question 23

What tends to be the reader profile of a person who buys The Big Issue?

Answer 23

People who buy The Big Issue tend to:
- be more towards the left side of politics
- are prepared to pay extra for quality
- are urbanities leading busy lives
- are culturally, ethically and socially aware

Question 24

What percentage of the readers of The Big Issue are male and female?

Answer 24

56% are female readers
44% are male readers

Question 25

What percentage of the readers of The Big Issue work full time and are studying?

Answer 25

41% of readers work full time
31% of readers are studying

Question 26

Why do the ABC1 demographic tend to buy The Big Issue more than the C2DE demographic?

Answer 26

Because the ABC1 demographic have more disposable income than the C2DE demographic