Some publishers are abandoning their offices. Some are trying to force staff back to their desks. But there is a middle way that could work out better for everyone. It’s down to simple psychology: if people know that they don’t need to be in the office, you need to find ways to make them want to be in the office. Adam Tinworth thinks creating that environment is easier than you might think (and no, it doesn’t involve table football).

The first incentive to bring people back is social interaction. But offices aren’t designed with that in mind. So with a hybrid working style comes the need for offices which have spaces to promote casual encounters, collaborative working, and communal space.

Collaboration over the internet is difficult and draining. Working from home has brought amazing benefits, but there are longer term implications. Creating a tempting office space for staff to come back to as and when they can is much better than trying to force the issue.

The Fix has released the next in its series of ‘The year 2021 in…’ (the first looked at podcasting). This one is an excellent month-by-month overview of developments in membership and subscriptions over the past twelve months. It also includes some milestone report releases which have given extra insight into subscriber growth and loyalty.

Brian Morrissey looks at the Vox Media and Group Nine deal, and what it means for similar digital ‘upstarts’. His point that these companies are no longer start-ups and are now pretty much middle aged is worth remembering, especially as BuzzFeed shares bump along. He thinks the next phase of digital media innovation will take place on the niche level, rather than the mass audiences many of these pureplays built their businesses on.

THIIIRD Magazine was born in 2017 as a London-based independent print magazine and online platform aimed at amplifying the voices of unrepresented members of society. It quickly found a committed audience thanks, in part, to its goal of moving beyond diversity as a tick-box exercise. A good Q&A piece from FIPP with founder Rhona Ezuma.

UK Editor of The Big Issue Paul McNamee tells us about the Big Issue’s Breakthrough scheme, paying disadvantaged young people to get into journalism. He also talks about why the magazine needed a redesign to make everything important and necessary, working with designer Matt Willey, their relationship with subscribers, digital-first news and balancing campaigning with making a properly entertaining magazine.

We’ve kept on top of all the key media news for the year and rounded it all up in one handy report. From subscriptions to NFTs, recap the media moments of 2021, and most importantly, the implications for publishers going forward. It’s free to download as well!