Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Jeff Williams
Editor, Arkansas Wildlife magazine
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Little Rock
Arkansas
Magazine
Arkansas Wildlife
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Jeff Williams
Jim Harris, managing editor
Jeanne Zaffarano, senior graphic designer
Mike Wintroath, photographer
Arkansas Wildlife, started in 1967, reaches an audience of about 25,000 people who care deeply about hunting, fishing, conservation and wildlife in Arkansas. The magazine, which carries no advertising, is intended to be entertaining and educational -- we want readers to know how the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission works, how it makes decisions and how it spends taxpayer dollars. The last reader survey of the magazine revealed that each issue is read by 2.3 people. Longtime subscribers have donated stacks of back issues they couldn’t bear to throw away.We strive to give readers material they won’t find anywhere else.
Our subscribers are emotionally attached to the Arkansas outdoors -- people such as hunters, anglers, hikers, canoeists, bird watchers, and conservationists. We want everyone to know about the mission of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, regardless of their background or outdoor pursuits.
We know from surveys, phone calls, e-mails and letters that Arkansas Wildlife readers have a stake in the magazine. Many have read it for years, and they pass it along to children, relatives and friends. They also keep us on track – they’re not afraid to let us know when they think we’re veering off course. For instance, several years ago an editor decided to remove information from the daily squares on the calendar. Our telephones rang for weeks; readers felt they were robbed of valuable news.
Although the staff listed on the masthead includes five people, none of them is dedicated to the magazine; we all have other duties. In a recent audit, the editor estimated 25-30 percent of his time at work was spent on magazine production; likewise for the managing editor. That percentage is lower for others on the masthead. We seldom buy articles or photographs -- this is truly a homemade publication -- but we do sometimes accept essays and articles from readers. We strive to be timely and we plan issue by issue; we're small but we can react quickly.
The Arkansas Wildlife staff takes pride in producing a magazine that's informative for readers but allows the history of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission to unfold in its pages. We cover it all -- from a state-record fish to an outbreak of chronic wasting disease that captured national attention.
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