Delayed Gratification issue 38
Delivered to Stack subscribers in
Jul 2020
We were planning to send the 10th anniversary issue of Delayed Gratification out as our December delivery at the end of this year. But then coronavirus happened, and every day, as the headlines got more alarming and life got stranger, we found ourselves wondering what the pandemic would look like from the calm and critical distance this magazine affords.
Issue 38 revisits the crucial period from January to March this year, with extensive infographics and personal stories that parachute the reader into various different frontlines of the fight against COVID-19. Delayed Gratification could have been tailor made to cover the baffling complexity of coronavirus, and editors Rob and Marcus have done a fantastic job of telling the story with their characteristic warmth and clarity.
Name
Matthew Lee.
Job title
Associate editor and one of the co-founders.
What is Delayed Gratification?
Delayed Gratification is the world’s first slow journalism publication. Slow journalism is about stepping outside the relentless news cycle to produce journalism with depth, accuracy and context, offering a longer-term perspective. We offer independent, non-partisan and reader-funded slow news.
What makes it different to the rest?
There are very few independent print magazines focusing on current affairs. Also, it’s got beautiful artwork on the cover and is bursting full with fascinating facts and stunning photography, as well as longform nonfiction pieces and surprising infographics. I don’t think there’s a magazine quite like DG.
Who makes Delayed Gratification?
A small team who’ve worked together for many years, and a big international network of freelancers.
Who reads it?
We’ve got loyal, engaged readers all over the world. Whenever we meet them at our events we feel very lucky that so many smart and lovely people appreciate our work.
Why do you work in magazines?
I grew up in a house full of magazines and it always seemed quite exciting and glamorous. The reality is not that glamorous but it’s wonderful working in print and knowing that our journalism can be enjoyed at a slower, more leisurely pace, without all the distractions of smartphones and the internet.
Aside from the print magazine, what else are you involved in?
I handle the retail side of things and I also do bits and pieces with social media, online events and the weekly newsletter.
What would you change about Delayed Gratification if you could?
There’s nothing I’d change, but I’d like to keep increasing our budgets for funding truly in-depth stories researched over months and even years, and which really help our readers to understand the world.
Where do you see Delayed Gratification in five years?
As the news media gets ever faster and shallower, we’ll go slower and deeper. I hope we continue to find new readers because the more people who buy the magazine, the more we can invest in original and independent slow journalism.
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