By Becky Polini
In a two-page photo spread, 11 Pakistani children are captured on film being pushed on a dilapidated Ferris wheel anchored in a pile of trash. Their toy is surrounded by the slums they live in, but the smiles on their faces reflect an undeniable charisma.
Flip a bit further for another two-page photo spread, this one showcasing a timeline of the tragic decline of Tara Reid’s looks and her addiction to bad plastic surgery.
From national tragedies to juiced-up celebrities, the pages of monthly Shock Magazine deliver uncensored, unapologetic photographs with brief captions describing the contents of the pictures.
No 1,000-word articles here — Editor-in-Chief Mike Hammer says the primary focus of Shock is to deliver the news visually to a generation of fast-paced students who don’t necessarily have the time to sit down and read a huge piece on the war in Iraq.
“A lot of people think the magazine is upsetting and takes advantage of imagery,” Hammer says. “News isn’t pretty. I mean look at Star Jones.”
The idea of a magazine based primarily on pictures started in France with a publication called Choc. Hammer says their content is a bit more edgy because of the European audience, whereas Shock, launched in May 2006 and located in New York City, stays away from pictures of blood and gore.
“We reflect the news,” he says. “We don’t create it.”
The target demographic of Shock is the average 18-34 year-old, with the primary buyers being 24-year-olds. Hammer says the magazine, which houses pages that are refreshingly advertisement-free, doesn’t rely on ads or subscriptions. He says he wanted to create a magazine that has a connection with readers at the newsstand.
Hammer started his career as a freelance journalist in Staten Island. Before he moved on to launch Shock, Hammer was the executive editor of Maxim and then the editor-in-chief of Stuff magazine.
Hammer says the main difference between news magazines and Shock is that publications such as Newsweek write the stories and then find the images to coincide with them. Shock finds incredible pictures and then finds the stories behind them.
“Shock is edgy, but it doesn’t have an agenda,” he says. “After you’ve been drawn in by the images, the captions tell the story.”
To obtain its content, employees of Shock go to different photo agencies from all over the globe, everywhere from China to Australia, looking for great pictures.
“Everyone here is a veteran journalist,” Hammer says. “They’re reporters, fact-checkers, copy-editors — everyone knows what they’re doing.”
Inside Shock’s pages are pictures of everyone from George Bush holding a crying baby to veiled Iranian women, from Carrot Top on steroids to famished Congolese children. This magazine tries to capture an audience of elliptical-machine riding grade-driven students through fantastic imagery.
“We do deep, deep, deep photo research,” Hammer says. “We know our main audience is going to be among college students, and we score well with people who are visually oriented. These kids have a lot on their plate and can’t take the time to read a 7,000 word article on what’s going on in Darfur.”
While Shock relies heavily on images from professional photo agencies, readers are always encouraged to submit their own pictures. If a picture gets published on the website or in the magazine, Hammer says the photographers are given digital cameras or other such prizes.
Hammer also says there’s a college ambassador program within Shock aimed at raising awareness on college campuses about the magazine.
Mr. Youth, a program created approximately four years ago, is a marketing agency focused on the college demographic. Clients include Dell, Gateway and Neutrogena.
Eric Schoenberg, account supervisor, brand engagement for Mr. Youth, says he chooses students to be representatives based on people he finds on MySpace, Facebook and through school career centers.
Students from 100 universities across the country are chosen to represent Shock on their campuses and encourage peers to submit their photos.
Junior and business major Taylor Strong got a head-start on his career when he was chosen by Mr. Youth to promote Shock Magazine on campus. He is solely responsible for handing out copies of the magazine to students and raise awareness of the contests the publication has.
Strong says students from participating universities can submit crazy photos to Shock’s website — if a student’s picture is voted as the best, they’ll win a $250 American Express gift check.
“Taylor is an extension on campus for Shock Magazine,” Schoenberg says. “We want him to create a buzz. And the opportunity to be published is very appealing.”
Aside from his duties as a representative, Strong says it’s been a gratifying experience to work for a real magazine.
“It’s a great way to get involved around campus,” he says. “You meet good people, get exposed to different situations, learn marketing strategies — I’m figuring out where to capture people.”
Shock picks images based on their ability to tell a story and tries to offer readers uncensored photography that gives a true glimpse of news, sports and celebrities. Hammer says they use the photos to create news based on the extraordinary.
“You’re being brought up to date on the latest information, but you’re not drowning in it,” he says. “It’s like CliffsNotes for grown-ups.”
