First magazine was launched in 1993, the first full-colour magazine distributed with a Sunday newspaper in Malta. It immediately established itself as a must-have supplement to The Malta Independent on Sunday, the magazine of choice for the discerning reader and a powerful advertising force on the Maltese market.
A new editor has now taken over the helm of the Standard Publications flagship magazine after 15 uninterrupted years of captaincy by the indefatigable Marie Benôit. He is Colin Fitz and today’s issue is literally his first.
Colin Fitz has been involved in the media scene for 18 years, and his career developed concurrently with the new era in print and broadcasting born in the 1990s. He has worked as a journalist at, and contributed weekly columns to, The Malta Independent and was deputy editor of Sport on Monday and Sunday Circle magazine. His CV also includes stints as news editor at Island Sound, breakfast show presenter on XFM, and assistant public affairs officer at the British High Commission. Readers will also recognise him from his appearances in the theatre and from hosting sporting events, hobbies that reflect his wide range of interests and involvement in various fields.
“I’m looking forward to the challenge of carrying on where Marie so ably left off, while stamping my own imprint on this long-running iconic magazine. Marie’s done a wonderful job, and I intend to build on that, but I’m confident readers will embrace the new look and style I intend to infuse into First over the next few months,” he said.
“Featuring a team made up of advertising executive Claire Gafà, designer Conrad Bondin, photographer Ben Borg Cardona and a host of talented writers and photographers, I think the new-look First is going to appeal to an even wider proportion of readers than ever before. I’m sure they will identify with the articles while feeling part of the experiences of the people interviewed and the stories told,” he added.
Asked how he felt about the switch in the editorship from female to male, Mr Fitz said that he saw this as a refreshing change and a positive thing.
“Abroad it is very common for a woman to edit a man’s magazine and vice versa. This is 2010, where the fashion, arts, entertainment, health and grooming worlds feature an ever-increasing amount of crossover between the sexes. I think First’s reinvention will stimulate a broad spectrum of minds, and the introduction of more male elements while maintaining the female-driven aspects of the magazine will create a very interesting and modern dynamic,” he explained.
“The new First team’s aim is to consolidate our strong base as a magazine for intelligent and sophisticated people while adding to the cast of characters we feature, and shifting our mix of articles to reflect the changing nature of Malta. Readers will be pleased to see eye-catching, witty new articles about motoring, homes, gadgets and sport added to the more traditional society pages – articles that will be new to the First mix, but that will make an impact in a world where transport, technology and exercise have become vital to the lives of everyone, regardless of gender. ”