Notes from Selsdon


FIFA’s bungs fiasco is scandalous. But are we business editors any better?


The farcical goings-on at football’s governing body FIFA, so well documented by the BBC’s Panorama et al, leaves a dreadful taste in the mouth. Sepp Blatter’s uncontested victory in the latest presidential elections merely proves how loudly money screams within the organi- sation. Of course, corruption is rife in all walks of life; the FIFA-family rules no doubt mirror transactions going on in all corners of the globe every day of the week. And the whole sorry saga got me thinking about my own profession. I wonder whether the way magazine editors are often treated is much dif- ferent to the brown-paper-bag propositions that allegedly take place in Zurich. I’ve been a modestly-paid magazine edi- tor for the past ten years. But my palm has been crossed with lunches at Michelin-starred restaurants in London, safaris in Kenya, sight- seeing in Venice, day trips to Paris, five-star hotels in Malaysia, to name just a few of the many treats to have come my way – all in the name of marketing. I know one editor that has been schmoozed by way of an all-expenses


THE TEAM


Editor Tom Idle 0208 651 7070


Sub-editor and online editor Richard Sharpe 0208 651 7099


Production Sharon Miller 0208 651 7104


Creative director & production manager Luana Marca 0208 651 7142


Publisher Angela Himus 0208 651 7164


Corporate partnerships Robert Barton 0208 651 7065


Group advertisement manager Ella Westaway 0208 651 7077


Subscriptions 0208 651 7060


Administration Clare Klos 0208 651 7121


To email the team use: firstname.surname@fav-house.com


holiday in the Caribbean with his family invited along for the ride.


I am not for one minute hypocritically knocking it. I’ve enjoyed every bit of hospi- tality thrown at me – and as in any business transaction, it pays to treat people well. And it’s certainly not in the same league as the shady accusations thrown at some of FIFA’s executive committee.


But, to steal a line from Tarantino’s Pulp


Fiction, it’s in the same ballpark. And some of it is uncomfortable, especially when the


THE EDITORIAL PANEL


John Alker director of policy, UK Green Building Council Mark Barthel special adviser, WRAP Charlie Browne sustainable development manager, Ikea David Crowhurst BRE Environment Anya Ledwith ESHCon Liz Parkes head of waste, Environment Agency Tim Pollard head of sustainability, Wolesley Amita Vaux head of advisory services, Business in the Community Bruno Zago UK & Ireland environment manager, Hewlett Packard


MAGAZINE INFORMATION ISSN 1756-8633


© Faversham House Group Online: sustainablebusinessonline.com


Subscription rates: 1 year UK: £107; 2 years UK: £179; Overseas: £122 Digital edition 1 year: £50 Single copy price: £10


Printed by Buxton Press Limited www.sustainablebusinessonline.com Sustainable Business | June 2011 | 43 FAVERSHAM HOUSE GROUP LIMITED


Tel 0208 651 7100 Fax 0208 651 7117 ISDN 0208 651 1471 Address Faversham House, 232a Addington Road, Selsdon, South Croydon, Surrey CR2 8LE


FHG is a member of the Periodical Publishers Association


OTHER INFORMATION


The Faversham House Group port- folio also includes edie.net and Sustainabilitylive!


This magazine is printed on PEFC-accredited paper.


For more info see pefc.org. Licence number PEFC/16- 33-141


unwritten rules attached to editor-treats-for- coverage are blurry at best.


In the interests of transparency, this month’s


cover story comes with a footnote highlight- ing that I was reporting on sustainable palm oil in Malaysia as part of a press trip paid for by the company profiled in the piece. It’s a tactic used by other media outlets and I’m happy to adopt it too. It allows the audience to make up its own mind about the balance of the piece and leaves editors free from any FIFA-style shenanigans.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52