In the news: Experimenting with the format of a longstanding brand.

The New York Times tried something new for the August 14 edition of its weekly print magazine. Reports Liz Spayd of the NYT, "It has been completely turned over to a single narrative by Scott Anderson about the forces that unraveled the Arab world since the United States invaded Iraq 13 years ago. It is written by Scott Anderson with photography by Paolo Pellegrin, and clocking in at 40,000 words, it's less like a magazine piece and more like a small book." The online edition, available through the NYT VR (Virtual Reality) app, is enhanced with video content that immerses the reader in the unfolding narrative.

Spayd discusses the groundbreaking edition with editor Jake Silverstein. Read the article and her brief interview with Silverstein here.

Also Notable

From Print to Digital: One Editor's Story

This week, magazine editor Joe Hebert of Skyword.com discussed his personal journey "from print publishing to digital storytelling." The article traces his evolution as an editor as he transitioned from print newspaper publishing to digital content services. However, he reports that he's learned universal lessons along the way: "In print, I learned the necessity of really reading the content you're editing. In digital, that necessity is doubled -- depending on the error, your client may be angry enough to walk away." Read the full article here.

Executives Talk About Industry Changes

Foliomag.com has interviewed 17 magazine executives about how their companies are dealing with widespread changes in the way media brands are doing business. The first article of the two-part series, featuring 8 of the interviews, came out this week. Topics include sought-after skill sets, technology, online archives and databases, and sales strategy. Read Part 1 here.

Common Job Application Mistakes

Rachel Gillett of BusinessInsider.com talked to magazine editor Bill Phillips (former vice president and editor-in-chief of Men's Health) last week about common mistakes editors and writers make when applying for positions. Read the article here.

Fashion Magazines Capitalizing on Instagram Stories

More and more magazine brands are diversifying their social media portfolios and exploring Instagram. Now, with the Snapchat-inspired "Stories" feature, users can post photos that eventually disappear. According to Lindsey Ellefson of Mediaite.com, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Allure, and GQ are all exploring ways to deliver content via Instagram Stories. Read more here and here.

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