The Big Issue
What is The Big Issue?
The Big Issue is a magazine
that was launched in 1991.
They aim to dismantle
poverty by giving a ‘hand
up’ instead of a ‘hand out’.
The way they do this is
through selling the
magazines to people in need
for £1.50, to which they
then sell them on the
streets for £3. This then
gives them the money to help
the homeless (and anyone
else that is struggling) get
back on their feet.
How popular is it?
The Big Issue is very
popular, with more than 200
million copies sold.Since 1991,
The Big issue has helped
92,000 people who have all
made a grand total of £115
million. At the moment,
there is around 1,200
vendors, and with an
audience of 400,000 in the
UK it is clear that it is
helping many people.
Who reads The Big Issue?
With an audience in 35
countries it is clear that
the magazine is very
popular, but who reads it?
The average Big Issue reader
is likely to: have completed
higher learning, want to help
other people less fortunate,
be interested in politics and
have a disposable income.
What does The Big Issue write about?
The Big Issue writes a lot
about social justice issues,
and tries to start a
conversation about ethics and
values. However, they try to
stay away from controversial
stories as this could impact
their sales (and every sale
helps someone in need). To
help boost sales they will
sometimes interview
celebrities and famous people.
They stay away from gossip
pieces when do8ing this and
remember to keep it formal and
informative.
Who started The Big Issue?
It was started by friends John
Bird and Gordon Roddick who
noticed the large amount of
homeless people, and wanted to
do something to help them. The
magazine, like many others,
used to only be sold once a
month. However, in 1993 they
started selling them weekly.
This not only helps more
people but it is also a key
selling point of the magazine.
By Maddy Furmage