Sorted magazine, long celebrated as “the world’s most healthful men’s magazine”, has announced its transition to a digital-only format.
Since its inception in 2007 by the late Steve Legg, Sorted has achieved remarkable success in print, culminating in a peak circulation in 2013 and a faithful readership inside the Christian community.
Legg, who continued because the magazine’s editor until last yr, succumbed to cancer in September on the age of 57, forsaking a legacy of uplifting content that resonated with many.
Printed six times a yr at a price of £6 per issue, Sorted carved a distinct segment by mixing faith-based perspectives with lifestyle features, current affairs, and celebrity interviews.
Regular columns by survival expert Bear Grylls and in-depth interviews with high-profile figures reminiscent of Gary Oldman, Sir Anthony Hopkins, and Sir Roger Moore have helped to define its distinctive appeal.
However, like many print publications facing declining sales and distribution, Sorted has embraced the digital realm through a latest subscriber model designed to succeed in a broader audience.
Pastor Duncan Williams, a director and shareholder of Son Christian Media Ltd – the corporate that owns Sorted – expressed his support for the change. He said, “The news that Sorted magazine has moved to a digital platform and is discontinuing its print edition shouldn’t disappoint anyone. In fact, I feel it’s a extremely positive move.
“Under the editorship of Val Fraser, an experienced journalist, there’s tremendous potential to succeed in more people – each inside and beyond the Christian community – with lifestyle content, current affairs, celebrity interviews, and opinion pieces.
“For fans of Sorted who might feel this signals a decline, I’d say it’s quite the other. Most print magazines have faced declining sales and distribution, but moving online opens up an enormous opportunity to attach with a broader audience.”
Sorted is a component of Son Christian Media Ltd, which also launched the Christian tabloid The Son in 2005.
The recent announcement is available in the wake of one other loss for the media group. Last yr, Hugh Southon, a respected Christian sports journalist and fellow director at Son Christian Media Ltd, passed away. Southon was widely admired for his insightful contributions to Christian media, and his absence is keenly felt by colleagues and readers alike.
“It has undeniably been a difficult season for Christian publishing here within the UK,” admitted Williams. “But with God’s grace we are going to persevere onwards.”
