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Date Posted: 10:13:03 07/18/12 Wed
Author: The Big Issue
Subject: January edition London the allure of war

The Big Issue
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article is about the street newspaper. For the song by Chumbawamba, see Tubthumper#Track listing. For the French web documentary, see The Big Issue (website).
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2007)
The Big Issue
Big Issue, January 2012
Editor in Chief John Bird
Categories Entertainment
Weekly
Circulation 125,000 (as of 2011)[1]
First issue September 1991
Company The Big Issue Company
Country United Kingdom
Australia
Japan
South Africa
South Korea
Namibia
Kenya[2]
Malawi[3]
Based in London, United Kingdom
Language English (UK Edition)
Website bigissue.com

Big Issue salesperson on Stonegate, YorkThe Big Issue is a street newspaper published in eight countries; it is written by professional journalists and sold by homeless individuals. It was founded by John Bird and Gordon Roddick in September 1991. The Big Issue is one of the UK's leading social businesses and exists to offer homeless people the opportunity to earn a legitimate income, thereby helping them to reintegrate into mainstream society. It is also the world's most widely circulated street newspaper.[4][5]

To become a vendor, one must be homeless or vulnerably housed or marginalised in some way. The Big Issue recognises, however, that for many people, being housed is only the first stage in getting off the streets; therefore, The Big Issue Foundation exists to support vendors in gaining control of their lives by tackling the various issues which lead to homelessness.

The Big Issue has been described as one of the most successful street newspapers worldwide, selling nearly 300,000 copies a week and listed as the third-favourite newspaper of young British people (age 15 to 24) in 2001.[6]

There are five localised editions of the magazine sold throughout the United Kingdom and vendors buy The Big Issue for Ł1.25[7] and sell it for Ł2.50. The magazine is also produced and sold in Australia, the Republic of Ireland, South Korea, South Africa, Japan, Namibia, Kenya, Malawi and Taiwan. All vendors receive training, sign a code of conduct[8] and can be identified by badges which include their photo and vendor number.

Contents [hide]
1 History
1.1 The Big Issue and migration
1.2 Circulation decline and 2012 relaunch
2 Ethos
3 Overseas projects
4 Criticism of its publishing model
5 Awards
6 See also
7 References
8 Further reading
9 External links

[edit] HistoryInspired by Street News, a newspaper sold by homeless people in New York, The Big Issue was founded in 1991 by John Bird and Gordon Roddick as a response to the increasing numbers of homeless people in London.[9] The Body Shop provided start-up capital to the equivalent value of $50,000.[6] The magazine was initially published monthly, but in June 1993 The Big Issue went weekly. The venture continued to expand with national editions being established in Scotland and Wales, as well as regional editions for Northern England and England's South West Region. Further editions are also produced in seven locations overseas.

In 1995 The Big Issue Foundation was founded to offer additional support and advice to vendors around issues such as housing, health, personal finance and addiction.

[edit] The Big Issue and migrationThe accession of several Central and Eastern European countries to the European Union in 2004 led to the increased migration to the UK of residents of those countries. When Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in 2007, the right of their residents (termed "A2 nationals") to work in Britain was limited to the self-employed, highly skilled migrants, and food and agricultural workers.[10] The Big Issue, whose vendors are classed as self-employed, offers an opportunity for A2 migrants to work in the UK. By 2011, around half of Big Issue sellers in the north of England were of Romani origin, many of whom having migrated from Romania and Bulgaria.[clarification needed][11] In London, 30% of rough sleepers are Eastern European.[1] In 2012, a Romanian Big Issue vendor obtained a court ruling which confirmed that she is entitled, as a self-employed person, to receive housing benefit.[12] The Big Issue has been criticised for enabling migrants to access the benefits system in this way.[13] The magazine responded by asserting its role in reducing benefit dependency, highlighting British Prime Minister David Cameron's description of it as 'a fantastic example of how we can reduce dependence on state hand-outs'.[14]

[edit] Circulation decline and 2012 relaunchIn 2001 the magazine sold nearly 300,000 copies.[6] Between 2007 and 2011 the circulation of The Big Issue declined from 167,000 to less than 125,000. Competition between vendors also increased at this time. In January 2012 the magazine was relaunched, with an increased focus on campaigning and political journalism. New columnists were added, including the Premier League footballer Joey Barton, and the cover price was increased.[1][15]

[edit] EthosThe magazine is produced by The Big Issue Company Ltd. The company is a self-sustaining business which generates income through magazine sales and advertising revenues. Financially, The Big Issue is a not-for-profit organisation, with all post-investment profits passed to The Big Issue Foundation (legally a separate entity). The Big Issue Foundation is the registered charity arm of the organisation. It aims to underpin the company's work by tackling the underlying causes of homelessness.

[edit] Overseas projectsThere are nine Big Issue projects by the same name in other nations.

The Big Issue Australia
The Big Issue Japan
The Big Issue Kenya
The Big Issue Korea
The Big Issue Malawi
The Big Issue Namibia
The Big Issue The Republic of Ireland
The Big Issue South Africa
The Big Issue Taiwan
[edit] Criticism of its publishing model This section may need to be updated. Please update this section to reflect recent events or newly available information, and remove this template when finished. Please see the talk page for more information. (June 2012)

Further information: Differing approaches to street newspapers
The Big Issue has been the centre of much controversy among publishers of street newspapers, mainly because of its business model.[5][16] Publishers of some other street newspapers, especially in the United States, have criticised it for being overly "commercial" and having a flashy design; according to these critics, street newspapers ought to focus on covering political and social issues that affect the homeless, rather than on emulating mainstream newspapers to generate a profit.[6][17] Publishers of some smaller papers, such as Making Change in Santa Monica, California, said they felt threatened when The Big Issue began to publish in their area.[6][17] Other papers have also criticised The Big Issue for its professional production and limited participation by homeless individuals in writing and producing the newspaper.[5] Others, however, have stated that The Big Issue uses a successful business model to generate a profit to benefit the homeless, and its founder John Bird has said that it is "possible to be both profitable and ethically correct."[6]

[edit] Awards This section does not cite any references or sources. (July 2009)

October 2008 The Big Issue was presented with the Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year award.[18][19]
May 2006 Big Issue Australia Writer Craig Hill selected for Vodafone World of Difference Program for his work with the homeless
November 2004 John Bird named BBC London Legend.
October 2004 Winner of UN Habitat Scroll of Honour Award.[20]
May 1996 Shortlisted for United Nations ‘Best Practice’ Award.
June 1995 John Bird awarded the MBE for ‘services to homeless people’ by Queen Elizabeth II
[edit] See alsoInternational Network of Street Papers
Lucy Johnston
[edit] References^ a b c "The Big Issue Magazine: Help the Homeless". The Economist. 7 January 2012. http://www.economist.com/node/21542406. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
^ "Introduction & History". Big Issue. http://www.bigissue.com/magazinesite/introduction.html. Retrieved 2008-10-11.
^ Masina, Lameck (13 March 2009). "Malawi Magazine to Help Provide Financial Support to Poor". Voice of America. http://www.voanews.com/english/archive/2009-03/2009-03-13-voa24.cfm?CFID=187725495&CFTOKEN=62612648&jsessionid=883030802a70d7ede3de70476207222c4274. Retrieved 5 May 2009.
^ Heinz, Teresa L. (2004). "Street Newspapers". In David Levinson. Encyclopedia of Homelessness. SAGE Publications. p. 538. ISBN 0-7619-2751-4. http://books.google.com/?id=q-PgHH8TJi8C&pg=RA1-PA538&dq=%22street+newspaper%22#PRA1-PA535,M1.
^ a b c Brown, Ann M. (2002). "Small Papers, Big Issues". Ryerson Review of Journalism. http://www.rrj.ca/issue/2002/summer/373/. Retrieved 12 February 2009. [dead link]
^ a b c d e f Boukhari, Sophie (15 May 2001). "The press takes to the street". The UNESCO Courier. UNESCO. http://www.unesco.org/courier/1999_02/uk/connex/txt1.htm.
^ "How We Work". The Big Issue. http://www.bigissue.com/How_We_Work_14.php. Retrieved 21 January 2012.
^ "The Big Issue - Code of Conduct"
^ The Big Issue - Introduction and History
^ Reid outlines new EU work curbs, BBC News, 24 October 2006. Retrieved 24 October 2006.
^ "Efforts to integrate Roma people are under threat from cuts". The Guardian. 27 April 2011. http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/apr/27/roma-manchester-tensions-big-issue. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
^ "Big Issue seller wins right to claim housing benefit". The Guardian. 17 January 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jan/17/big-issue-seller-wins-right-housing-benefit?newsfeed=true. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
^ "Roma vendors and media criticism". The Big Issue in the North. 24 May 2011. http://www.bigissueinthenorth.com/2011/05/roma-vendors-and-media-criticism/2714. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
^ "We are leading the way in benefit dependency". The Big Issue. 18 January 2012. http://www.bigissue.com/mix/news/464/we-are-leading-way-reducing-benefit-dependency. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
^ "Revamped Big Issue hits the streets". BBC News. 16 January 2012. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-16574823. Retrieved 30 January 2012.
^ Magnusson, Jan A.. "The transnational street paper movement". Situation Sthlm. http://www.nyaorganisationer.soch.lu.se/SituationSthlm.html. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
^ a b Howley, Kevin (2005). Community Media (illustrated ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 71. ISBN 0-521-79228-2. http://books.google.com/?id=MslR_FE5SI4C&pg=PA71. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
^ http://www.ey.com/UK/en/About-us/Entrepreneur-Of-The-Year/EOY---Awards---2008-London
^ http://www.ey.com/UK/en/Newsroom/News-releases/EOY---08-10-07---R-Harpin-UK-EOY-2008
^ http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?typeid=19&catid=490&cid=2909
[edit] Further readingHanks, Sinead; Tessa Swithinbank (1999). "The Big Issue and other street papers: a response to homelessness". Environment and Urbanization 9 (1): 149–158. DOI:10.1177/095624789700900112. http://eau.sagepub.com/content/9/1/149.
Swithinbank, Tessa (2001). Coming Up from the Streets: The Story of The Big Issue. Earthscan. pp. 21–33. ISBN 1-85383-544-7. http://books.google.com/?id=ha1dO1WD88AC&pg=PA21. Retrieved 2009-03-11.
[edit] External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to: The Big Issue
Official site
"Ethical Entrepreneurs" John Bird founder of The Big Issue, talks about his early life and entrepreneurial journey
Regional sites
빅이슈코리아
Northern England
Scotland
South West England
大誌雜誌中文版
Wales
[hide]v · t · e Street newspapers by continent

[show]
North America

United States Change of Heart · Real Change · Spare Change News · Street News · Street Roots · Street Sense · Street Sheet · StreetWise · The Contributor · Homeless Grapevine · Hobo News

Canada Edmonton Street News · Street Sheet Canada · Toronto Street News

[show]
Europe

Austria Megaphon

Russian Federation Put Domoi

Sweden Aluma · Faktum · Situation Sthlm

Ukraine The Way Home

United Kingdom The Big Issue · The Big Issue in Scotland · The Big Issue in the North

[show]
Other

Africa The Big Issue Malawi

Asia The Jeepney Magazine

Oceania The Big Issue Australia

[show]v · t · e Major English-language current affairs and culture magazines

Australia Australian Book Review · Dissent · Griffith Review · Meanjin · The Monthly · National Observer · News Weekly · Overland · Quadrant · Southerly

Bangladesh Dhaka Courier · Forum · The Star

Belgium The Bulletin · E!Sharp · EUobserver

Canada Alberta Views · Canadian Dimension · Literary Review of Canada · Maclean's · Maisonneuve · Paaras · This Magazine · The Walrus

China Beijing Review

Ethiopia Capital Ethiopia · Ethiopian Review

India Frontline · India Today · Outlook · Tehelka · The Week · Open

Ireland forth · Magill · The Phoenix · Village

Israel The Jerusalem Report

New Zealand Investigate · New Zealand Listener · North & South

Pakistan Herald · Newsline

South Africa Amandla · Noseweek

Syria Forward Magazine

United Kingdom General The Big Issue · The Drouth · The Economist · Focus on Africa · Fortnight Magazine · FT Magazine · The Guardian Weekly · The Middle East · Monocle · New African · New Internationalist · The Oldie · Private Eye · The Sunday Times Magazine · The Week

Intellectual The Liberal · London Review of Books · Variant

Political New Statesman · Prospect · The Spectator · Intersec · Standpoint

United States General The Atlantic · The Brooklyn Rail · The Christian Science Monitor · Foreign Policy · Harper's Magazine · Newsweek · New York · The New Yorker · The New York Times Magazine · Salon.com · Slate · Time · U.S. News & World Report · Utne Reader

Intellectual Foreign Affairs · The New York Review of Books · Wilson Quarterly

Political The American Prospect · The American Spectator · Human Events · Mother Jones · The Nation · National Review · The New Republic · Policy Review · The Progressive · Reason · The Weekly Standard

See also: News magazine

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Categories: British political magazinesStreet newspapersPublications established in 1991Hidden categories: All articles with dead external linksArticles with dead external links from September 2010Articles needing additional references from August 2007All articles needing additional referencesWikipedia articles needing clarification from March 2012Wikipedia articles in need of updating from June 2012Articles needing additional references from July 2009Commons category template with no category set
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