Rotary magazines: Getting the word out

April is Magazine Month, a time to celebrate the global network of Rotary’s official magazines, which provide valuable information to 1.2 million Rotarians.

The Rotary World Magazine Press consists of 32 magazines from Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Europe that inform, inspire, and entertain in 23 languages. In addition to The Rotarian, Rotary’s English-language flagship publication, it offers magazines such as Vida Rotaria (Argentina), Rotary in Bulgaria, and The Rotary-no-Tomo (Japan).

The RI Bylaws require all club members to subscribe to The Rotarian or a Rotary regional magazine. Rotary leaders, district governors, and club presidents are encouraged to support magazine editors in their country or region by submitting story ideas, promoting readership, encouraging timely subscription payments, and assisting with other communication efforts.

Look for a new international supplement edition in the pages of The Rotarian early in the 2008-09 Rotary year. The eight-page supplement, to be produced for all official Rotary magazines, will highlight Rotary’s work on the global stage. Ahmet Tükel, editor of Rotary Dergisi, the Turkish magazine, says the special edition represents a step forward. “The supplement will help promote a unified and global image of the organization,” he notes, “and show how collaboration of editors from different parts of the world can help put together a tool for communicating the strength and appeal of Rotary International.”