There are a multitude of societies and student publications at Oxford, but, until recently, there has not been a business-focused magazine. This term, The Radcliffe, a new business magazine, released its first issue. Nathaniel Read, the magazine’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, spoke to The Oxford Blue about his vision for the publication.
Read’s passion for journalism encouraged him to launch the magazine, but this was not his sole motivation for creating it. He reflected on “having absolutely no idea what I wanted to do when I’m older,” with the magazine’s key aim being to “help students figure out and achieve what they want to do when they’re older,” as many students do not know enough about different industries. In 2021, it was reported that almost 40% of university students were uncertain about their plans, suggesting that this is a common concern for young people today.
The Radcliffe is looking to engage students through opinion articles, investigations, Q&As, book reviews, and more, with its website placing an emphasis on exclusive interviews. Read hopes that “students [will] recognise its value as something to put on a CV, be it through writing articles, meeting advertisers, or improving a creative portfolio”. He is also looking for the magazine to be a source of information for students applying for jobs and internships.
When asked why no such magazine has existed before, Read explained that areas such as finance and law have remained in the hands of societies rather than newspapers and magazines. Although, this is a trend that has begun to change recently. This term The Oxford Student launched a new “Business and Finance” section, the first of its kind among student publications.
Read also expressed his interest in collaborating with business-, finance- and economics-focused societies by promoting their upcoming events on the magazine’s website.
On a personal level, he reflected on the challenges of establishing a paper, describing it as difficult but simultaneously “very satisfying to create something new”. He recommends to anyone who is looking to start a similar publication, that it is important to communicate consistently with one’s target audience.
Through Freshers’ Fair and Instagram, the magazine has recruited skilled writers and contributors. Read hopes that the magazine will be a termly publication with regular events by next year. For now, he encourages Oxford students to “read the first issue now!”