Editor interview – Mike Green

You were editor of EPN, the largest circulation electronics title in Europe, and you decided to leave. What could be better than editing EPN?
EPN was great to work on, but after nearly 9 years with the RBI publishing group (a great deal of that time working on EPN), a change of scene was long overdue. Also being managing editor meant I really had a struggle on my hands to make time for writing articles that interested me. Too often you tend to just get tied down with all the admin and political stuff. Working on ECN and Wireless Design I get to write a lot more about the issues affecting the European market and that is much more fulfilling.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time, when you’re not writing about electronics?
Well as you know I have had a couple of books published, and so this has been a quite a big part of my life over the last 4 years or so. I have also been studying at Cardiff’s Art College, and have just completed the first stage of a degree in fine art. I love travelling, doing a variety of sports, and all the usual socialising stuff. I also follow the rugby, but being Welsh that is mandatory.

Do you prefer writing books to editing magazines?
I think they are both pretty good really. All of us in the electronics press like to have a little bit of a moan now and again, but in reality it’s a pretty good way to earn a crust. There aren’t many occupations that allow you to have such varied work. Meeting people doing cutting edge research, learning about new innovations, getting to speak to the industry’s real decision makers, and then being given a platform on which to voice your opinions about all this sure beats the monotony that a lot of my friends have to put up within their workspace. Books are a bit different. Obviously they are far bigger projects to embark upon, so they take a lot of leg work, and the process can be frustrating at times, but the rewards of getting something into the bookshops make it well worthwhile.

What are your plans for your next book?
Well, actually I am currently working on a third book, which looks at the relationship between art and science. It looks how these two subjects have interacted over the centuries; from the Quatrocento through the Renaissance and Enlightenment periods right up to the modern day.

Your books are only available in print, whereas you’re the European editor for Wireless Design and ECN, which have launched digital-only titles here. So what is the future – print or online?
For most of the time I was with EPN the main focus was on print, and though later on there was an increasing emphasis on web-based offerings, it was still the paper version that made up the majority of the readership. I think that there should be room for both print and digital. The editions of ECN and Wireless Design which are emailed to the readership here in Europe have a number of advantages. They are easier to search through, they can be archived, and they have less of an environmental impact. Also there is a lot more room to develop new ideas in terms of advertising. To complement this web-based editorial services are obviously far more immediate, and allow readers to get involved (in terms of commenting on blogs, etc). I still personally enjoy getting print magazines through the post, and I think a lot of other people feel the same, but it seems likely that the emerging generation of engineers and tech management will prefer digital and on-line publishing.

Why do you think people would read a digital magazine like Wireless Design Europe when there are competitors available in print?
I would say it is not so much a matter of how they get it, but more what they get. As Engineers want editorial that can help them in doing their job, what source that comes from is not something they worry about. Also, as mentioned, digital editions have several added convenience factors.

What is the one thing you’d like to change about the way companies do PR in the electronics industry?
I have been dealing with the PR community for a long time now, and for the most part have had good experiences. I think, like most journalists, my biggest pet peeves would be when deadlines aren’t kept on material (although, to be fair, this is usually more down to the company being represented rather than the PR firm themselves) and when requests for information or interviews aren’t responded to in a timely manner. Another one, that I know a lot of my colleagues would agree with, is that firms often think in terms of just ticking boxes. For example, a PR manager will make a big thing about getting as many editors to meet with them at a show even if they have nothing new to say at that time. It means they can go to their bosses and show nice statistics and metrics with which to gage their success, but in reality it is just counterproductive. If you ‘cry wolf’ too many times, people won’t want to know any more.

As you are now writing for a number of titles, does this let you be more focussed on the technologies that interest you?
Yes, I would say so. ECN has a broad based editorial remit, but I really tend to concentrate on the technologies and application areas that are of particular relevance to Europe, or where European companies are leading the innovation. With Wireless Design it is great to be involved in a telecom-based publication again, as it is still a really interesting field, with plenty to write about.

What’s your favourite gadget?
It’s a little ironic I know, but I am still a bit of a Luddite at heart really. I am a lot more enthused by technological advance that can improve healthcare, enhance vehicle safety, or provide us with sustainable energy resources, than what is currently on sale in the high street shops. I’m not one of these people who just buys up any new consumer device on a whim, I really have to see the value in it first. But I think that having an element of scepticism is a good thing sometimes, as you can give an objective view of whether the technologies being touted are actually going to make people’s lives better. While at magazines like EPN, Telecom-Plus, and Hyperelectronics I had to sit through quite a lot of PowerPoint presentations where it was hard to see what real benefit would be gained, companies were trying to solve problems that were not there in the first place. Anyway, I guess my MP3 is the gadget that I get most use out of, though it is getting a bit battered now.

Tags: Editors, EPN, Interviews, UK