Trinity Mirror tests ‘real life’ sector with Reality

Trinity Mirror is believed to be planning to launch a “real-life” magazine called Reality, as a rival to News Magazines’ Love It!, the weekly magazine launched in February.

Industry insiders say that they expect the publisher to be looking at the consumer magazine sector because it is one of the few areas experiencing growth.

One press buyer says: “It wouldn’t surprise me if Trinity Mirror was looking at doing something like this – in fact I’m sure all the publishers have considered it.”

He adds that all publishers will be watching how Love It! and the Mail on Sunday’s standalone You magazine perform to see if they are successful, and which business model to follow if they do decide to launch a magazine.

Another industry source says that while that staffing levels and budgets are very tight at Trinity Mirror, it would not be difficult for its current staff to launch a magazine. He says: “Don’t forget Trinity Mirror chief executive Sly Bailey has a wealth of magazine experience from her years at IPC – she knows how to make magazines profitable.”

Newspapers have shown a growing tendency to launch consumer magazines in recent months. As well as Love It!, News Magazines has also launched a Sunday Times-branded interiors magazine called Inside Out. Its next launch is rumoured to be a men’s weekly.

A Trinity Mirror spokesman denied there are any plans for a magazine launch at the moment.