Louis Johnson

I am a final-year Music Business and Media student at University of Brighton with a strong interest in public relations, print journalism, and the wider creative industries. Throughout my degree, I have explored the relationship between music, media, and culture through modules including Creative Industries and Popular Culture, The British Music Industry, History of Popular Music, Photography, Journalism, Digital Media Marketing and Innovation, and Sustainability and Innovation in Digital Culture. 

Alongside my studies, I have gained practical industry experience through internships and mentorship opportunities within music PR. At Satellite414, I developed skills in research, press release writing, campaign monitoring, and media coverage analysis while working within a professional PR environment. I also took part in the Creative Network Mentorship programme with Mel Brown of Impressive PR, where I gained insight into the day-to-day operations of music publicity and assisted at events including The Great Escape Festival and the launch of Live Odyssey. 

CV

Live Project

Background to the Project

From a young age, I have been fascinated by print media and the cultural significance it holds. I still remember first seeing a cover of The New Yorker, which sparked an early appreciation for the physicality, design, and storytelling that magazines can offer. As my interests in football and music developed, publications such as FourFourTwo, NME, and Q became a major influence on me, alongside books and other forms of physical media. I became increasingly drawn not only to the content itself, but to the experience of engaging with something tangible and carefully curated. 

As technology has evolved, however, there has been a visible decline in print and physical media, with digital platforms, online publications, blogs, and social media increasingly dominating the way audiences consume content. This shift led me to question why certain print magazines continue to survive and remain culturally relevant despite these changes. I became interested in understanding what keeps these publications afloat, why audiences still choose to engage with print media, and how magazines continue to create value in an increasingly digital landscape. 

This dissertation was therefore driven by both personal interest and academic curiosity. Through my research, I wanted to explore the relationship between print media, cultural relevance, and changing audience behaviours, while also examining how magazines adapt in order to maintain their identity and readership today. Ultimately, this project has also allowed me to work towards creating my own magazine, using the research, practical skills, and knowledge I have developed throughout my time at university. 

As part of this project, I worked alongside DJ Mag and Shindig! magazine through a series of interviews focused on modern music journalism and cultural relevance. Speaking with editors from both publications gave me insight into how established and niche independent music magazines operate today, particularly around audience engagement, editorial identity and adapting to digital media. This alongside the knowledge and research developed throughout the last three years of my degree, as well as experience gained through internships within the music industry, these conversations helped shape both the research and the practical ideas behind the project, especially around curation, authenticity and the continued value of print within music culture. 

Read Here

“Redefining Cultural Relevance: Music and Culture Magazines in a digital-first media landscape” 

This dissertation explores and examines the idea of cultural relevance of print music magazines within an increasingly digital media landscape. Through a combination of literature surrounding music journalism, print culture, audience behaviour and digital media, alongside qualitative interviews with editors from DJ Mag and Shindig!, the project investigates how contemporary music magazines maintain editorial identity, is affetced by audience engagement and maintains cultural relevance. The research aims to examine how niche and established publications adapt to changing media consumption habits whilst preserving authenticity and integrity. 

Contact Me

Louismj3@gmail.com