LAFFERS DANCE - Kidscreen

editorial
10 JANUARY 2007
SO
I’ve basically been staring at a blank
screen for an hour now (minus two completely
unnecessary jaunts to the kitchen
for coffee—which I don’t even drink) because I have no
idea how to start this editorial. I’m out of practice and
out of touch, so if you’ll indulge me, I’m just going to
do a stream of consciousness thing for awhile and see
where it takes me.
As you’ve probably guessed by now, I’m back from my year-long maternity leave, and yes, that
gorgeous munchkin up there is my daughter Kira. I’ve got to say that spending this first year with
her has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life. But it’s also really good to
be back at the magazine. It’s early days still, of course, but the business seems to mean a lot more
to me now that I have a vested interest in the consumer impact of it all. It sounds cheesy, but I feel
a stronger sense of purpose at work these days, which is really invigorating.
Getting back into the groove of publishing a monthly magazine has been relatively easy.
It feels a lot like sliding your feet into a favorite old pair of slippers. The bigger problem I’m
having (besides figuring out how to cook nutritious meals and do laundry in a day that’s now
nine hours shorter) is that a year in this quick-changing business is like a lifetime, and I haven’t
quite caught up on everything I’ve missed.
I was so far off the grid that the whole self-generated content movement, led by the likes
of YouTube and MySpace and inspiring new projects like Microsoft’s XNA program (see
“Microsoft rolls out YouTube for gamers” on page 35), is completely new to me. Now that I’m
in the know, I think it’s really exciting to be on the cusp of a media revolution that may put
more access and control in the hands of actual people—especially since Kira is likely to benefit
from it as part of a next-generation audience.
But I also find it interesting that despite having a smorgasbord of new ways for connecting
with kids more directly, most companies seem to be in the exact same position they were in
before I left—waiting for someone else to go first. I think 2007 has to be a watershed year for
pioneering kid-targeted efforts in this space, and I can’t wait to see how folks end up harnessing
its potential.
In the meantime, I’m glad to be back in the game, and I hope to see you all at KidScreen
Summit next month. We’ve got a lot of catching up to do!
—jocelyn
The more things
change the more
they stay the same
January 2007 Volume 12, Issue 1
VP and Group Publisher
Donna MacNeil
(dmacneil@brunico.com)
Editor
Jocelyn Christie
(jchristie@brunico.com)
Managing Editor/Online Editor
Lana Castleman
(lcastleman@brunico.com)
Senior Writer
Kate Calder (kcalder@brunico.com)
Online Writer
Gary Rusak (grusak@brunico.com)
Art Director
Jubert Gutierrez (jgutierrez@brunico.com)
Writers and Contributors,
Jim Benton, Bloomfield
Gerard Raiti, Los Angeles
ADVERTISING SALES
(416) 408-2300, 1-800-KID-4512
Associate Publisher
Myles Hobbs (mhobbs@brunico.com)
Senior Account Manager and
Business Development Team Leader
Mike Croft (mcroft@brunico.com)
Account Manager
Ian Lambur (ilambur@brunico.com)
Publisher’s Assistant
David Terpstra (dterpstra@brunico.com)
Conference Producer
Meredith Jordan (mjordan@brunico.com)
CONTACT US:
Tel: (416) 408-2300
Fax: (416) 408-0870
366 Adelaide St. West Suite 500
Toronto, Ontario Canada M5V 1R9
Watch for the next issue of
KidScreen:
February 2007
Street Date: February 2
®