Monocle magazine – synonymous for documenting the best in travel, current affairs and world business and culture. But what you may not be so familiar with is their round-the-clock, global radio station, Monocle 24. Taking on all that this monthly publication has to offer, Monocle 24 goes that one step further to offer a radio platform for an audience that is smart, entrepreneurial and ready to take on world opportunities, developments and lifestyle. I recently had the opportunity to meet with Fernando Augusto Pacheco, associate producer and presenter at the station to talk all things Monocle 24 and found out what it’s like to work for the magazine powerhouse.
My relationship with Monocle has been a long-standing one. Reliably informative and introducing me to the people from around the world that are stylishly leading the way in their own fields, I was eager to understand what makes working for Monocle 24 and the magazine so rewarding.
Photo @Andrew Urwin
Fernando has paved an impressive, journalistic path and now, alongside contributing content for the magazine, produces Monocle 24’s show, The Stack alongside fellow producer Ben Rylan. I meet him at the Monocle HQ, Midori House, which is home to all things Monocle: design studio, advertising agency, and magazine and radio studios.
The Stack stays true to the Monocle fan, illustrating and introducing the discerning follower of, ‘…essential listening for anyone who cares about what they read – and how they read it’.
The Stack’s premise is simple. They explore the new and also more established publications, highlighting stories and design that appeal to them, but also interview and discuss these with editors, journalists and other magazine aficionados.
‘It feels important to me that Monocle can offer a space where magazines, newspapers and other publications can be put on a discursive platform’, explains Fernando. ‘We were so used to discussing Monocle’s own magazine and, as avid readers ourselves, wanted to talk about what else we were excited about picking up, flicking through and articulating new and interesting content’.
Perhaps the most important feature to The Stack is the ‘live’ aspect of radio. Although there may be occasions of pre-recordings, The Stack uses the show to express and generate active and genuine emotion and thoughts direct from speaker to listening. ‘The show really benefits from its laid back and informal style. We like to be positive and have the freedom to explore the titles’, says Fernando. ‘We are ‘colloquial’ and chatty, but that doesn’t matter. It is much more constructive and makes a better programme when we can discuss content and also speak with one another in this way’.
And where does this passion for magazines and periodicals come from, I ask? Growing up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Fernando describes a fascination with reading from a young age and wanting to absorb as much information as possible from around the globe. ‘I just wanted to know more about the world and I found the stories that came from far reaching parts of the planet exciting and in may ways, exotic’. This consequently led him to study in the UK, turning a love of the written word into a profession.
Journalism has provided Fernando with a trajectory and stage beyond anything he could have imagined. He tells me how it has allowed him to divulge into his passions, travel the world and most importantly, lead him to radio. ‘I feel like I have really found my niche, especially with the radio show and being a producer here at Monocle. The magazine and Monocle 24 is everything I loved about journalism when I was growing up’.
The internationalism of the Monocle brand most definitely translates into Fernando’s outlook on The Stack and its direction. The programme wants to review what is being reported and written about across the world. As a listener, I feel this is important to engage with a globally conscious audience and ensure that the show isn’t being narrowly focused on a subset of magazine titles, but rather much farther-reaching.
Reading a magazine can quite often be a private and introverted experience. I can often feel very absorbed in the pages in front of me and can shy away from discussing a title that may sit away from the mainstay publications on the newsstands. The Stack is taking us away from that situ and bringing the discourse for these magazines alive and promoting independent titles and smaller periodicals at the same time. ‘We talk about everything and anything…no stone is potentially left unturned. We love that we too discover new writing with the listener. It makes for a really rewarding show.’
A key component to this far-reaching attitude is by taking advantage of the Monocle agents operating and working across the globe. From these contacts new and exciting publications are relayed. However, alongside this, the show also encourages their guests to bring in three magazines, of their choice, that they enjoy reading. ‘Some of my favourite titles have come from new suggestions by our guests and this really reiterates the point of the show. It’s talking about new magazines, with new people and sharing what we love.’
So if you are in the market for a sharp, conversational and witty radio show, covering the latest the magazine world has to offer, then look no further than The Stack. Fernando is producing a show that draws upon his love of journalism, the written word and a genuine interest in what other people have to say about magazines. So why not tune in, you just might discover a publication that is right up your street, guaranteed to please as it comes with the Monocle seal of approval.
Listen to the show at https://monocle.com/radio/shows/the-stack/ or via the Monocle 24 app.
