jay heinrichs - who do you speak for?

WHO DO YOU SPEAK FOR? (FOR WHOM DO YOU SPEAK?)

JAY HEINRICHS AUTHOR OF THANK YOU FOR ARGUING EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, PACE COMMUNICATIONS

THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS…

Mark 1:3

VOICE = TONE + CHARACTER

CONVERSE WITH THE READER?

SPEAK AUTHENTICALLY?

CONVEY A UNIQUE TONE?

SHOW WIT?

SHOW A POINT OF VIEW?

TELL A GOOD YARN?

CREATE POWERFUL MEMES?

VOICE‣ Conversation

‣ Authenticity

‣ Unique tone

‣Wit

‣ Storytelling

‣ Buzzworthy ideas (memes)

‣ Speaks for the tribe

CHARACTER‣Expertise ▸Specialized knowledge

▸Quality of design, art & storytelling

▸Confident tone

‣Disinterest ▸ Journalism

▸Editorial independence

‣Cause ▸ Institution/company’s purpose

▸Specific mission with a goal

CRAFT, CARING, CAUSE

WHAT’S YOUR CAUSE?‣ Liberal arts

‣ Propers for your profession

‣ Propers for your region/place

‣ A tribal aspiration

‣ The owner’s virtue

‣ An actual mission

TRIBAL ASPIRATION

OWNER’S VIRTUE

ACTUAL MISSION

WAYS TO DO CAUSE‣Series (Child exercise, climate change)

‣Special issue

‣Make news ▸Event, survey, debate

▸ Lobbying or protesting

‣Top-quality long narrative

PLACES TO SHOW VOICE‣Letters (and replies!)

‣Editor’s note

‣Dean’s or CEO’s letter

‣Cover

‣Feature well

‣Type & design

30 southwest november 2016

from the editor

PHO

TOG

RA

PHY

BY L

US

O/I

STO

CK

Thirty-five years ago a single word changed my life forever. This issue is dedicated to that word.

I didn’t deserve it. In fact, the whole day had been a mess. It was just before Christmas when I took a woman downhill ski-ing; it was her first time. Once the chairlift got going, she be-gan to cry, and that’s when I noticed her terror of heights. Still, she bravely rode the lift and suffered a day of inching down the slopes.

Back in my apartment that evening, I opened a bottle of rare Chilean wine, given to me by my best friend several years ear-lier. He had told me when to open it, and this was the night.

We toasted, sipped the wine, and almost spat it out. Pure vin-egar. Over the years of careless storage in a bachelor’s efficiency apartment, it had spoiled. Still, I drank all of it, because it was special. Then I opened a bottle of Champagne.

She unwrapped her present, and inside the small box was an enormous ring—a man’s ring, gold with a modest diamond set in the middle.

At this point I was so far gone from the wine that I had to get up on one knee. Wishing I was sober and had rehearsed, I told her as articulately as possible that I had found the ring in a fam-ily safe deposit box and had planned to have it turned into an engagement ring but had waited too long and the goldsmith was too busy for the holidays and in any case it was a ring, which sort of counted, didn’t it, and would she marry me?

“Yes,” she said.Jay Heinrichs

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR @JAYHEINRICHS

Dear Reader,

THE IDEAL VOICE‣ Conversational, interactive

‣ Authentic

‣ Unique, original

‣ Confident

‣Witty

‣ Storytelling

‣ Leads a cause: tribe’s, institution’s

THE VOICE OF YOU. VOICING YOUR INSTITUTION’S CHARACTER.

SINGING ITS CAUSE.

SAMPLE CHARACTERSouthwest: The Magazine is a friendly 30-something man (neatly dressed, indistinguishable race) sitting next to you on a plane. You don’t intend to speak to him but he’s funny and welcoming and buys you a drink with a coupon. He listens to your story and then tells you his. It brings tears to your eyes. When he sees you’re nervous about a bumpy landing, he lets you hold his hand.

jay heinrichs - who do you speak for?

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