Being a parent and editing a magazine for parents puts a bit of
pressure on you to deliver the goods parenting-wise. It’s a burden Anita
Bevan the editor of the BBC’s new magazine BBC Family Life - has had to
carry for her entire career, since taking her first job as an editorial
assistant on Parenting magazine. Barely a few years later, she gave
birth to her first child Joanna.
’I’ve been quite lucky because the magazines I’ve edited have always
matched the ages of my children,’ she says. ’For my kids, however, they
have had years of acting as guinea pigs. Whenever I go home they go to
my bag and see what I’ve bought home for them this time. I have to
divide my work and my personal life very firmly. At work I am Anita
Bevan, but when I take my coat off at home, I’m Mrs Hedges.’
Curiously for a journalist who seems to have specialised in parenting
issues for such a long time, she really wanted to get into health or
consumer writing when she started out. Having found her way into the
parenting market, however, she never looked back. She formed her own
publishing company to launch independent parenting magazines and publish
for the Pre-school Playgroups Association before arriving at the BBC
this June.
BBC Family Life is a monthly which launched on 23 October and targets
ABC1 mothers. It’s a features-led title, although there will be news
sections on key areas such as health and education and the features will
have a newsy edge. Thus, you are likely to find advice on choosing
schools or the risks of antibiotics rather than excessively fluffy
nonsense. Bevan also hopes to introduce purely entertaining features
based on real life readers stories and even some articles on dealing
with divorce.
’The magazine will stretch from what to do with your children on wet
weekends to what’s being taught about sex in schools and from creating
quick family meals to the latest health issues,’ she explains. ’There
will also be a focus on relationships with partners as well as fashion
and beauty features that are really useful.’
Bevan explains that there will not be any great emphasis on the
traditional idea of the nuclear family with 2.4 children, as that type
of family structure is far rarer these days.
The parenting magazine sector is a crowded one and, according to Bevan,
it’s going to become even more competitive.
’The National Magazine Company is planning to launch against us next
spring I understand,’ she says.
’They dipped their toe into the water with She’s Having A Baby and they
will launch a full title next year. I suppose I should be alarmed at all
this competition but families have been so out of fashion until recently
that I just think it’s nice to see so much interest again.’
HIGHLIGHTS
1978 - Editor, Parents
1982 - Managing editor, Parents
1986 - Editor, Under Five
1989 - Editor, Right Start
1997 - Launch editor, BBC Family Life
