What Do You Want From Your Journal?

What do you want from your journal? We asked this question recently because we truly want to know the answer. The Motion Imaging Journal has been at the forefront of publishing detailed information for more than 100 years. While we do not want to stray from our mission, we want to connect with our readers in order to better understand their needs. Like most print magazines, we have had to reduce physical issues. Does this work for you, our readers? We do not know, so we asked (I am typing this the night before we sent that ask, so I do not know what you replied).

https://app.smartsheet.com/b/form/47ff93d0a97f45ab857bdfe8bcaa325d

You may have noticed that our January issue was unique in that it featured a photograph of a person on the cover for the first time in a VERY long time. While this may not seem like a significant change, it is when you are doing something for the first time. Does that add to the visual appeal of the cover? We will continue to publish the finest peer-reviewed science and engineering papers, but do you want more? Are use cases of interest to you? If so, we could include those in addition to our rigorous technical content. Are there other things that are of interest?

We ask questions because we want to know. SMPTE must be in a constant state of reflection to ensure that we are providing our constituency with what they require to bring quality to their daily work. The industry is changing rapidly, so we must too. With less than a year under my belt, I have quickly learned that the moving imaging industry, in whatever form we may transmit those images, is on the brink of a shift compared with the advent of sound in film or the mass consumption of television. As such, how do we respond?

We must also recognize that as our industry evolves, so do our members. If we want to attract a younger demographic, we need to hear from them about what they want and need from SMPTE, including in the Journal. The voices of future members are critical in shaping where we go and how we serve them. We must work to be a Society for our future members and be there for them when they discover us based on the work of our past and current members. Our constituencies, members, and even non-members help shape SMPTE’s future by telling us what we do well and what we don’t. We need your response. Without those voices, we are driving blindly, and that does not result in a positive experience, even if it “ends well.”

If you have made it this far in the Executive Director’s column, you are a dedicated reader of the Motion Imaging Journal. We especially want to hear from you.