Newell Turner, a former University of Mississippi magazine student who rose to become the Hearst Design Group editorial director, will be presented the Silver Em, the University of Mississippi’s highest award in journalism, at a campus event April 18.
Turner is responsible for the collective editorial direction of ELLE DECOR, House Beautiful and Veranda magazines. He served five years as the 22nd editor-in-chief of House Beautiful, and in 2012 under Turner’s leadership, the magazine won its first National Magazine Award for general excellence – the industry’s equivalent of an Oscar – and was a finalist in the category in 2013.
The Silver Em is usually given to a native or resident of Mississippi who has excelled in the field of journalism and media, said Samir Husni, professor and director of the Magazine Innovation Center. Turner was one of his early magazine students.
When Dorothy Kalins, then-editor-in-chief of Metropolitan Home magazine, visited Ole Miss in the mid-1980s, she was impressed by Turner’s passion for the magazine industry.
“Newell, who was in my class, asked her a few questions that left an impact on her,” Husni said. “When she went back, she called and said, ‘Samir, I have an assistant position. I would like to offer it to Newell.'”
Husni said he encouraged Turner to take the job, saying, “If you are going to be in this profession, those opportunities don’t knock twice.”
Turner took the job and eventually became editorial director of the Hearst Design Group, a leader in the publishing world with the development of innovative editorial production models and business strategies across print and digital platforms.
Turner has reported on interior design, architecture, product design and the lifestyles of upscale consumers throughout his 30-plus year career, which has included positions at House & Garden and Metropolitan Home magazines. He was also the founding editor of Hamptons Cottages & Gardens and its sister publications: Palm Beach Cottages & Gardens and Connecticut Cottages & Gardens.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and Southern studies with advanced work specializing in magazine design, all from Ole Miss. Turner is a member of the American Society of Magazine Editors and a trustee on the board of the New York School of Interior Design.
“The roster of Silver Em honorees ranges from difference-makers at the national level to those who made their home state and communities better places to live and work,” said Charles Mitchell, associate dean of the UM Meek School of Journalism and New Media. “Newell Turner has certainly earned a place in this distinct group.”
The Silver Em award dates to 1958, and recipients must be Mississippians with notable journalism careers or journalists with notable careers in Mississippi.
The April 18 Silver Em event and dinner begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Overby Center Auditorium. It coincides with the Magazine Innovation Center’s ACT 8 Experience, set for April 17-20. The theme of the 2018 annual magazine industry conference is “Print Proud, Digital Smart.”
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