The Torch Magazine

The President's Column for Fall 2013

An Even Better Torch Magazine

    Before Reed Taylor retired as the editor of the Torch magazine, he helped me assemble a first class team to plan the Torch magazine of the future. To quote President-Elect Norine Haas, “I’m excited about the changes that are planned for the Torch magazine. Perhaps I am even more excited that this is a team effort of our membership and our new editor.”

    The new and talented group that is the IATC Communications Committee is headed by Regional Director Jim Coppinger and includes our editor Dr. Paul Scott Stanfield and Dr. George Conklin. They will be instrumental in planning change and turning plans into reality.
Jim has worked in publishing a long time and is helping IATC reduce printing costs and reinvesting those savings in a better Torch magazine. For example, the dimensions of Torch magazine will be ever so slightly smaller and will be printed on a flat, easier to read magazine stock. We have taken those savings to introduce a four color four sided cover and are exploring ways to creatively use the more attractive cover for the benefit of our local clubs and IATC—for membership development, as an example.   Fresher style pages are being discussed as well as new fonts and increased use of graphics.

    Dr. Conklin, who has edited an online academic journal for many years, is helping us make our articles increasingly searchable and electronically available to the world.

    A recent article in the Torch magazine caused quite a stir among our membership and members asked for a “letter to the editor” feature. Our publication cycle does not lend itself to a “letter to the editor” column, but we are investigating a Torch magazine response blog. The Torch magazine will continue as a magazine in the academic style, but we will look at new features that complement our members' intellectual efforts; i.e. a review of members books and publications.

     The publication of three issues of Torch just does not happen. A key player is Linda Brunick in our Newport News office. Linda is a back office person who makes the magazine tick and handles most of the coordination among authors, our dedicated reviewers, compositors and printers and, of course, our new Torch Editor Dr. Stanfield. The Torchlight email newsletter will continue to complement The Torch Magazine with current news about IATC.

     We honor the old traditions of the Torch Magazine, but need not be restricted by them. The spirit of inquiry and discussion that animates Torch can flourish in many kinds of settings.

     These renovations are a “Work in Progress,” but we do hope to accomplish many of these changes in this and the next two editions. I recently spoke to George Hearst about publishing a magazine in the 21st century. He said, "It is not easy to couple the traditional with the modern world of electronic publishing." I promise our membership and authors, the Torch magazine will not be left behind.

Charles E. Carlson
President IATC