A few years ago, I asked the editors-in-chief of numerous specialist media about their unique selling point. Why should their paper of all publications be indispensable? I expected answers such as "we are the fastest", "stand for completeness", "conduct the interviews that others don't get" or "are the specialists for XYZ". However, almost all of them answered "journalistic quality", which initially surprised and then even frightened me. In the past 30 years, I have never met a logistician who would have read a magazine for this reason. Even if they did, quality would ultimately be in the eye of the beholder and not that of the editorial team. Rather, journalistic quality is a craft, and therefore a hygiene factor: relevant selection of topics, clean research, punctual publication, knowledge of journalistic forms of presentation. Trade media are looking for a USP in logistics like never before. So what are readers most interested in? The answer given by materialfluss is as simple as it is successful. Readers are looking for practice, utility and orientation, and an answer to the question: How do others do it? Best-practice stories are the be-all and end-all in trade journalism. Materialfluss has always been a master at this. Keep up the good work and all the best for the 50th anniversary.
Anita Würmser, Managing Partner of impact media projects and Executive Jury Chairwoman Logistics Hall of Fame and IFOY Award
