Overview of the media and publishing sector in the UK

The media and publishing sector is going through a transitional period due to an influx of technology. Find out where you can apply your skills...

What areas of media and publishing can I work in?

Media:
There are just under one million people employed in the UK media industry, according to the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES). Opportunities for employment can be found in:

• advertising;
• animation;
• film;
• interactive media;
• radio;
• television.

Publishing:
In contrast the publishing industry is smaller, with 148,000 people employed in the UK. There are a number of areas you can enter including:

• book publishing;
• computer game publishing;
• education publishing;
• journals and periodical publishing;
• mailing list and directory publishing;
• newspaper and magazine publishing;
• software publishing.

There are also different stages of the publishing process which you can be involved in. These include: creation and design; distribution and retail; or production.

In the publishing sector, as with many other sectors, you can also work in accounting, human resources, marketing and sales. For example, marketing is an influential role in the bookselling industry.

In January 2011 there were 2,190 graduates from UK universities working in the publishing industry, according to the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DHLE) survey 2010/11. Of those graduates, the most popular occupations were journalists (14.6%), editors (13.7%) and authors and writers (9.1%).

For examples of job roles in this sector, see graduate jobs in media and publishing.

Who are the main media and publishing graduate employers?

The creative media and entertainment business is dominated by small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with two thirds of employers in the industry operating with between 2 to 4 people.

Examples of well-respected companies operating in the UK media sector include:

• Film: Archer Street Films, Blue Print Pictures, Ealing Studios.
• Production: Aardman Animations; Bristol Media; Slurpy Studios.
• Radio: Bauer Radio; Global Radio; UTV Radio.
• Television: BBC; BSkyB; Channel 4; Granada; ITV; Virgin Media.

Publishing contains a mixture of large companies and SMEs. The Pearson Group is a world leader in print publishing. It is responsible for: the Financial Times and the Economist; Pearson Education; and Penguin book publishing.

Large businesses that exist in the publishing sector include:

• Books: Faber & Faber; HarperCollins; Kogan Page.
• Booksellers: Amazon; Blackwell UK; Google Books; Waterstones; WHSmith.
• Educational: Macmillan; Oxford University Press; Wiley Blackwell.
• Magazines: Future Publishing; Hearst Magazines; IPC Media.
• Newspapers: Johnston Press; News International; Trinity Mirror.

What's it like working as a graduate in the media and publishing sector?

Graduates entering the media and publishing sector can expect:

• a creative and dynamic industry combined with deadline and target driven pressure;
• to earn an average of £18,126 in artistic and literary occupations and £17,497 as a media professional (journalist, editor, broadcaster), six months after graduation.
• a large amount of travel if working in television and film production;
• long or unsociable hours when approaching deadlines, for example, in late night television and radio production.

What are the key issues in the media and publishing sector?

Recent advances in technology has seen a rapid change in the publishing industry.

The move from print to digital saw a drop in the number of publishing establishments. Technology-based companies have sprung to the fore, most notably Apple, Amazon and Google, with e-reading devices such as the Amazon Kindle and Apple's iPad.

The expansion of digital media has created a need for highly specialised skills, particularly in the visual effects and film industry. Multi-skilled applicants are much sought after in media for their ability to understand different platforms of technology.

Working as a freelancer in the media industry is now commonplace, a trend which came about during the recession and looks set to stay.