Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) has bought a stake in a fledgling children’s magazine publisher, saying the new addition will become a “central part” of its offering for families.
The owner of the Mail, Metro, i and New Scientist titles said it had made a strategic investment in What on Earth Magazines, which publishes Britannica’s What on Earth! Magazine for six to 14-year-olds.
The magazine launched in April 2022 in partnership with Encyclopaedia Britannica and a statement claimed it is now “one of the fastest-growing children’s magazines” reaching “thousands of loyal subscribers” in 35 countries, although it is not ABC audited.
The publisher said every fact in the magazine, which comes out ten times a year, is checked by Britannica experts, and that it covers wide-ranging topics including science, sport, music and history. It was shortlisted in the children’s brand of the year category at the PPA Awards last month.
Christopher Fordham, DMGT’s chief investment officer, originations, said: “We look forward to making Britannica’s What on Earth! Magazine a central part of DMGT’s family offering for generations to come.”
What on Earth Magazines was founded in late 2021 by children’s book author and former Sunday Times technology editor Christopher Lloyd as chief executive, alongside former Telegraph executive head of culture Andrew Pettie as editor, and art director Mark Hickling, who previously held the same role at The Telegraph on its features and then its Saturday magazine.
Lloyd said: “Giving children a beautiful, printed monthly magazine is the perfect way to engage all curious minds. This partnership gives us the investment and reach to make Britannica’s What on Earth! Magazine a key part of any family’s desire to instil a love of learning through reading.”
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