Thursday, January 25, 2007

Attitude's January Edition

Readers of gay magazine Attitude have expressed concern that the January edition is yet to appear.

The gay glossy should have hit the streets before the New Year and is now two weeks overdue.

Mr Bob Flood, from Exeter, contacted PinkNews wanting to know if we had any news.

His subscription copy has failed to arrive in the post.

"I got the November 2006 issue but then the December issue I had to buy in WHSmith," Mr Flood told PinkNews.
"This month's one has not been sent either.

"I called WHSmith in Bournemouth and in Bristol but both only have the December issue on sale.

"The staff at Smiths were not able to give me any idea about what was going on, they seemed bewildered."

PinkNews reporters have spent most of the day trying to contact the offices of Attitude by phone, but there is no response.

Attitude is owned by Remnant Media, who are also not answering the phone.

The receptionist at the Northern and Shell Tower in London's Docklands says the Attitude offices are locked up and no one is there.

The fax number listed on the magazine's masthead appears to be disconnected.

In addition, the magazine's website is down, displaying an "access denied" message.

Mr Flood is dismayed at the lack of communication from Attitude .

"It is about a year since I subscribed but they have not sent me a letter asking if I would like to renew, which is strange."

Mr Flood told PinkNews that he has contacted the magazine's distribution company, who told him that they had not been sent any copies of a January Attitude.

Pinknews contacted WHSmith.

Spokesperson Viv Hayden commented, "Our account manager for Remnant Media has been told by Remnant Media that the magazine is delayed due to a production problem and will be available on 30th January."

The magazine has been printed by Polestar Group in Colchester but it said December's issue was the last one it printed and that it isn't contracted for any more.

It is possible the magazine has changed printers and that this is the cause of the delay.

Attitude first appeared in May 1994. It is famous for its fashion reportage and photography, and for the wide range of heterosexual celebrities who have graced its cover.

It is also widely praised for its social journalism, the Youth Issues in particular demonstrating how much of a lifeline the magazine became to isolated LGBT youth.

In 2005, Attitude editor Adam Mattera won Best Men's Magazine editor of the year at the BSME awards. It was the first time that a gay magazine had won the prize.

Perhaps Attitude's finest hour has been June 2002, when David Beckham, captain of the England football team, was the cover model, weeks before the start of the World Cup.

PinkNew founder turned Channel4 News star Benjamin Cohen is due to appear in the February "Youth" edition of the magazine.

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