Since first springing forth and smacking po-faced politicians on the nose with a diatribe of satirical imagery and intelligent prose, Private Eye has become a national treasure. Like many other PR agencies in Manchester, and the rest of the UK, it’s a frequent fixture on our coffee table. And not least because few other journalists make it their sole purpose in life to mock and expose in one fell, infinitely readable scoop.
So 50 years on the publication is now Britain’s most popular current affairs title, boasting readership figures in excess of 696,000 which, in itself, stamps a big question mark over the whole ‘inevitable death of print’ thing. Still the future can never be predicted, but, quite rightly, those in charge aren’t going to let the past go without celebration, and today revealed some pretty appealing plans.
Firstly, there’s an illustrated book in the pipeline, charting the magazine’s A-Z, and The Private Eye Manual will also be made available to aid and educate. Both will be on shelves in the run up to the 1300th issue, which hits newsstands late October. After giving us so many informed smiles, it’s highly likely that when the time comes we’ll be some of the first in line for copies of these soon-to-be collectors’ items, though we’re sure the standard fortnightly editions will suffice until then.